Motorcycle crash statistics and hotspots in Santa Monica, CA
- motorcycle crashes, 2021–2026
- 207
- motorcycle crashes, 2021–2026
- serious or fatal
- 50
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 1
- fatal
- street with the most
- I-10
- street with the most
Where they cluster
All 10 spots, explained- 1Main St & Ashland Ave13 crashes · 4 serious or fatalClose passes and cars turning alongside
- 2Ocean Ave & Seaside Ter16 crashes · 2 serious or fatalPolice reports: in 3 of 16, a driver didn't yield while turning left.
- 3Pico Blvd & Main St9 crashes · 3 serious or fatalPolice reports: in 5 of 9, a driver didn't yield while turning left.
Is Santa Monica 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: 207 motorcycle crashes were reported in Santa Monica from 2021–2026, 50 of them serious or fatal (1 fatal). The most were at Main St & Ashland Ave (13). 19% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip. 25% involved a car turning left across the rider.
Where to look next
How motorcyclists crash in Santa Monica
- 19% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip.
- 25% involved a car turning left across the rider.
- 22% happened after dark.
- 14% were hit-and-run.
What the reports show about motorcycle crashes in Santa Monica
- 22% (California: 25%) of crashes happened after dark.
- 23% (California: 80%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster.
- 24% (California: 28%) left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- The busiest hour was 5 p.m. (California: 5 p.m.).
- 0% (California: 2%) were on a wet road, as the report records it.
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.
- 0113 crashes · 4 serious or fatal
Main St & Ashland Ave
Close passes and cars turning alongside
5 of 13 crashes were sideswipes: a vehicle alongside, typically a close pass, a right hook, or an opening car door.
- Don't linger in drivers' blind spots, and watch for cars changing lanes or turning into driveways alongside you.
- 0216 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
Ocean Ave & Seaside Ter
A mix of crash types
Police reports: in 3 of 16, a driver didn't yield while turning left. 25% were hit-and-run.
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Ride within your sight distance and keep extra space.
- 039 crashes · 3 serious or fatal
Pico Blvd & Main St
Close passes and cars turning alongside
Police reports: in 5 of 9, a driver didn't yield while turning left. 4 of 9 crashes were sideswipes: a vehicle alongside, typically a close pass, a right hook, or an opening car door.
- Don't linger in drivers' blind spots, and watch for cars changing lanes or turning into driveways alongside you.
- 049 crashes · 3 serious or fatal
Pacific Coast Hwy
A mix of crash types
Traffic is posted at about 45 mph.
- 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.
- 056 crashes · 4 serious or fatal
11th St & Broadway
Side-impact crashes at the junction
Police reports: in 4 of 6, a driver didn't yield while turning left. 4 of 6 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.
- 067 crashes · 3 serious or fatal
I-10 & Centinela Ave
Close passes and cars turning alongside
5 of 7 crashes were sideswipes: a vehicle alongside, typically a close pass, a right hook, or an opening car door. Traffic is posted at about 65 mph.
- Don't linger in drivers' blind spots, and watch for cars changing lanes or turning into driveways alongside you.
- Traffic is fast here: at this speed you cross a junction in about a second, so scan early.
- 079 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
Ocean Ave & Broadway
Close passes and cars turning alongside
Police reports: in 3 of 9, a driver turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear. 4 of 9 crashes were sideswipes: a vehicle alongside, typically a close pass, a right hook, or an opening car door. 33% were hit-and-run.
- Don't linger in drivers' blind spots, and watch for cars changing lanes or turning into driveways alongside you.
- 0810 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
I-10 & Stewart St
Close passes and cars turning alongside
5 of 10 crashes were sideswipes: a vehicle alongside, typically a close pass, a right hook, or an opening car door. Traffic is posted at about 65 mph.
- Don't linger in drivers' blind spots, and watch for cars changing lanes or turning into driveways alongside you.
- Traffic is fast here: at this speed you cross a junction in about a second, so scan early.
- 093 crashes · 2 serious or fatal · 1 fatal
Michigan Ave & 24th St
A mix of crash types
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Ride within your sight distance and keep extra space.
- 109 crashes
Lincoln Blvd & Michigan Ave
A mix of crash types
56% happened after dark.
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Ride within your sight distance and keep extra space.
- Wear bright or reflective gear and use your high beam where you can.
Streets with the most motorcycle crashes in Santa Monica
| Street | Crashes | Serious/fatal |
|---|---|---|
| I-10 | 32 | 8 |
| Ocean Ave | 24 | 4 |
| Lincoln Blvd | 23 | 4 |
| Wilshire Blvd | 14 | 3 |
| Santa Monica Blvd | 13 | 6 |
| Neilson Way | 10 | 5 |
| Pico Blvd | 10 | 4 |
| Main St | 8 | 1 |
| Ocean Park Blvd | 7 | 1 |
| Pacific Coast Hwy | 6 | 3 |
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 Monica
| A driver… | Crashes | |
|---|---|---|
| didn't yield while turning left | 32 | |
| turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear | 26 | |
| drifted out of the lane or onto the wrong side | 12 | |
| ran a stop sign or didn't yield after stopping | 9 | |
| didn't yield pulling out of a driveway or alley | 4 | |
| drove too fast for conditions | 4 | |
| started or backed up when it wasn't clear | 3 | |
| drove under the influence | 3 |
The other vehicle, where the report names one: 104 cars, 40 SUVs, 12 pickup trucks, 3 minivans and 3 buses. In 6 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 Monica by year
| Year | Crashes | Serious/fatal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 23 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 47 | 13 | |
| 2023 | 27 | 8 | |
| 2024 | 49 | 12 | |
| 2025 | 35 | 13 | |
| 2026to Oct 19 | 26 | 3 |
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 Monica
- Where do the most motorcycle crashes happen in Santa Monica?
- The worst spot is Main St & Ashland Ave, with 13 reported motorcycle crashes from 2021–2026, 4 of them serious or fatal. Next are Ocean Ave & Seaside Ter (16) and Pico Blvd & Main St (9).
- How many motorcyclists were killed in Santa Monica?
- 1 crash killed someone in 207 reported motorcycle crashes in Santa Monica from 2021–2026, and 50 left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- How do motorcyclists usually crash in Santa Monica?
- 19% involved no other vehicle, usually running wide or losing grip. 25% involved a car turning left across the rider. 22% happened after dark. 14% were hit-and-run.
- When and where do motorcycle crashes happen in Santa Monica, compared with California?
- Of 207 reported motorcycle crashes in Santa Monica from 2021–2026: 22% (California: 25%) of crashes happened after dark. 23% (California: 80%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster. 24% (California: 28%) left someone seriously hurt or killed. The busiest hour was 5 p.m. (California: 5 p.m.). 0% (California: 2%) were on a wet road, as the report records it.
- Which streets in Santa Monica have the most motorcycle crashes?
- By the street each police report names first, 2021–2026: I-10 (32), Ocean Ave (24), Lincoln Blvd (23), Wilshire Blvd (14), Santa Monica Blvd (13). Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
- How many motorcycle crashes happen in Santa Monica each year?
- Reported motorcycle crashes with map locations: 2021: 23, 2022: 47, 2023: 27, 2024: 49, 2025: 35, 2026 (through Oct 19): 26. 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.
Places to ride to near Santa Monica
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.