Motorcycle crash statistics and hotspots in Santa Maria, CA
- motorcycle crashes, 2021–2026
- 92
- motorcycle crashes, 2021–2026
- serious or fatal
- 30
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 5
- fatal
- street with the most
- Broadway
- street with the most
Where they cluster
All 5 spots, explainedIs Santa Maria safe to ride a motorcycle?
This page covers traffic crashes, not crime. We don't rate cities as safe or unsafe: crash counts can't say how risky a street is, and busy streets have more crashes partly because more people use them. What the records show: 92 motorcycle crashes were reported in Santa Maria from 2021–2026, 30 of them serious or fatal (5 fatal). The most were at Broadway & Liberty St (3). 22% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip. 21% involved a car turning left across the rider.
Where to look next
How motorcyclists crash in Santa Maria
- 22% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip.
- 21% involved a car turning left across the rider.
- 36% happened after dark.
What the reports show about motorcycle crashes in Santa Maria
- 36% (California: 25%) of crashes happened after dark.
- 46% (California: 80%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster.
- 33% (California: 28%) left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- The busiest hour was 6 p.m. (California: 5 p.m.).
- 3% (California: 2%) were on a wet road, as the report records it.
- The reports name something about the road itself in 2 crashes: holes or deep ruts (2).
Set against all motorcycle crashes in California, 2021–2026. Without traffic counts these can't say how risky a street is.
Where motorcycle crashes cluster
Spots with 3 or more reported crashes within about 250 m, worst first.
- 013 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
Broadway & Liberty St
Side-impact crashes at the junction
2 of 3 crashes were broadside: a vehicle hit at an angle, usually a driver pulling out of a side street or driveway, turning across, or running the signal.
- Cover your brakes through the junction and watch the front wheels of cars waiting to pull out or turn left. Drivers misjudge how fast a motorcycle is coming.
- 025 crashes
US-101 & Broadway
Falls and fixed objects
3 of 5 crashes were a fall or hitting an object, with no other vehicle involved. 40% happened after dark. Traffic is posted at about 65 mph.
- Enter slower than feels necessary and watch for gravel, sand and diesel. Look through the bend.
- Wear bright or reflective gear and use your high beam where you can.
- Traffic is fast here: at this speed you cross a junction in about a second, so scan early.
- 033 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Broadway & Preisker Ln
A mix of crash types
Traffic is posted at about 45 mph. 67% were hit-and-run.
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Ride within your sight distance and keep extra space.
- Traffic is fast here: at this speed you cross a junction in about a second, so scan early.
- 043 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
US-101 & Donovan Road O
Falls and fixed objects
2 of 3 crashes were a fall or hitting an object, with no other vehicle involved. Traffic is posted at about 65 mph.
- Enter slower than feels necessary and watch for gravel, sand and diesel. Look through the bend.
- Traffic is fast here: at this speed you cross a junction in about a second, so scan early.
- 053 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Elm Ave & Donovan Rd
Side-impact crashes at the junction
2 of 3 crashes were broadside: a vehicle hit at an angle, usually a driver pulling out of a side street or driveway, turning across, or running the signal.
- Cover your brakes through the junction and watch the front wheels of cars waiting to pull out or turn left. Drivers misjudge how fast a motorcycle is coming.
Streets with the most motorcycle crashes in Santa Maria
| Street | Crashes | Serious/fatal |
|---|---|---|
| Broadway | 14 | 5 |
| US-101 | 14 | 4 |
| Blosser Rd | 7 | 3 |
| Donovan Rd | 5 | 3 |
| Miller St | 5 | 1 |
| Main St | 5 | 1 |
| Betteravia Rd | 4 | 1 |
| College Dr | 3 | 2 |
| Mccoy Ln | 3 | 0 |
| Stowell Rd | 3 | 0 |
Reported motorcycle crashes, 2021–2026, counted by the street each police report names first, so a crash at a corner counts toward one of its two streets. Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
What the police reports say drivers did in Santa Maria
| A driver… | Crashes | |
|---|---|---|
| didn't yield while turning left | 10 | |
| turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear | 8 | |
| ran a stop sign or didn't yield after stopping | 6 | |
| didn't yield pulling out of a driveway or alley | 4 | |
| drove too fast for conditions | 3 | |
| drifted out of the lane or onto the wrong side | 3 | |
| drove under the influence | 3 | |
| started or backed up when it wasn't clear | 2 |
The other vehicle, where the report names one: 44 cars, 11 SUVs, 6 pickup trucks, 2 minivans and 1 truck or semi. In 8 crashes the report says the other driver had been drinking or was on drugs.
Reported motorcycle crashes, 2021–2026. The officer names one party and one Vehicle Code section as the main cause of each crash; these are the crashes where that party was a driver. It is the officer's reading at the scene, not a court's finding, and many reports name the person on foot or on a bike instead, which we don't list.
Motorcycle crashes in Santa Maria by year
| Year | Crashes | Serious/fatal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 18 | 5 | |
| 2022 | 21 | 6 | |
| 2023 | 11 | 4 | |
| 2024 | 13 | 4 | |
| 2025 | 17 | 6 | |
| 2026to Oct 19 | 12 | 5 |
2026 runs to Oct 19, the newest report in the data, and police reports keep arriving for months, so it isn't a full year.
Common questions about Santa Maria
- Where do the most motorcycle crashes happen in Santa Maria?
- The worst spot is Broadway & Liberty St, with 3 reported motorcycle crashes from 2021–2026, 2 of them serious or fatal. Next are US-101 & Broadway (5) and Broadway & Preisker Ln (3).
- How many motorcyclists were killed in Santa Maria?
- 5 crashes killed someone in 92 reported motorcycle crashes in Santa Maria from 2021–2026, and 30 left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- How do motorcyclists usually crash in Santa Maria?
- 22% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip. 21% involved a car turning left across the rider. 36% happened after dark.
- When and where do motorcycle crashes happen in Santa Maria, compared with California?
- Of 92 reported motorcycle crashes in Santa Maria from 2021–2026: 36% (California: 25%) of crashes happened after dark. 46% (California: 80%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster. 33% (California: 28%) left someone seriously hurt or killed. The busiest hour was 6 p.m. (California: 5 p.m.). 3% (California: 2%) were on a wet road, as the report records it. The reports name something about the road itself in 2 crashes: holes or deep ruts (2).
- Which streets in Santa Maria have the most motorcycle crashes?
- By the street each police report names first, 2021–2026: Broadway (14), US-101 (14), Blosser Rd (7), Donovan Rd (5), Miller St (5). Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
- How many motorcycle crashes happen in Santa Maria each year?
- Reported motorcycle crashes with map locations: 2021: 18, 2022: 21, 2023: 11, 2024: 13, 2025: 17, 2026 (through Oct 19): 12. The latest year can rise as late reports come in.
- Where does this data come from?
- Police crash reports in the California Crash Reporting System (CCRS), published by the state on data.ca.gov. A report with no coordinates is placed at the intersection its street names give; reports with neither are not counted, so the real totals are higher.
Nearby cities
Source: California Crash Reporting System (CCRS), 2021–2026. A report with no coordinates is placed at the intersection its street names give; reports with neither are not counted, so these numbers are lower than the real total. Freeway crashes are included: many motorcycle crashes in cities happen on them. Busy streets show more crashes partly because more people use them. Data last rebuilt 2026-10-22. How the data works.