Bicycle Crashes on the Golden Gate Bridge

Recently, we performed an analysis on bicycle collisions in Marin County, California.  Specifically, we were looking to identify the most dangerous areas for cyclists within the county.  While we feel that we did just that, we noticed something else.  There were a lot of bicycle collisions on the Golden Gate Bridge.

As a result, we gathered data from both Marin and San Francisco Counties to find all bicycle accidents on the bridge over a ten-year period, from 2011-2020.

We identified 125 crashes involving cyclists on the Golden Gate Bridge during this time.  While no cyclists were killed in these crashes, 137 were injured – including 30 severe injuries.

Interactive Map: Crashes on the Golden Gate Bridge

The Golden Gate Bridge is part of a cycling route from San Francisco to Sausalito, one that is very popular with visitors and tourists -many of whom may not be experienced cyclists and are unfamiliar with the area.

While there are protected bike paths, collisions continue to occur each year:

• 2011: 8 crashes
• 2012:  10 crashes
• 2013:  14 crashes
• 2014:  15 crashes
• 2015:  14 crashes
• 2016:  13 crashes
• 2017:  15 crashes
• 2018:  12 crashes
• 2019:  13 crashes
• 2020:  11 crashes

As you might expect, bicycle collisions are much more common on the weekend, when the route is heavily used by visitors, rather than commuters.  In fact, 42 of the collisions occurred on Saturday – twice as many as the next highest day (Sunday with 21).

While these 125 crashes occurred on the bridge, three of the ten most dangerous areas for cyclists in Marin County were related to this bike route as well.  However, this data should be instructive, rather than alarmist.  Those who use this route regularly as well as visitors and tourists alike should be aware of the potential dangers and take precautions to keep themselves safe.

Data Table:  All Golden Gate Bride Crashes from 2011 – 2020

Below is every crash that we identified on the Golden Gate Bridge.