Motorcycle accident in Tempe: your rights, your report and finding a motorcycle accident lawyer

Last checked November 8, 2026

Tempe counted 112 fatal or serious motorcycle crashes in five years.1 Get your report on BuyCrash with your GO number, or from Arizona DPS if the crash was on a freeway.234 Arizona has no helmet rule for adults,5 and you generally have 2 years to sue.6

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Road map of Tempe showing Rural Road near Lemon Street, the area where police described a 2025 motorcycle crash with a self-driving car
By FY2024, severe motorcycle crashes in Tempe matched car-only ones. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

How dangerous is riding a motorcycle in Tempe?

Tempe's numbers are stark. Riders were in just 481 of 17,735 crashes in the city's five-year study.17 Yet 24 of those crashes were fatal and 88 caused serious injuries.89 About 1 motorcycle crash in 4 ended that way. For crashes between vehicles only, it was about 1 in 100.10

It has gotten worse lately. By fiscal 2024 the number of motorcycle crashes that killed or badly hurt someone had caught up with crashes involving only cars.11 The city's plan says motorcyclists are in as many of these crashes as other drivers while making up a much smaller share of people on the road.12 Maricopa County as a whole had 1,960 motorcycle crashes in 2024, with 123 riders killed.13

When and how do motorcycle crashes happen in Tempe?

Evenings are the danger window. About two of five motorcycle crashes that killed or badly hurt someone took place between 6 p.m. and midnight.14 If yours did, look for restaurants, gas stations and bars nearby that may have cameras running at that hour. Saturday evening is the worst time of the week for serious crashes of all kinds.15

Left turns are a familiar threat to riders, and the plan backs that up in general: left-turn crashes were 23.7% of all fatal or serious crashes.16 It does not break that number out for motorcycles, so we cannot give you a rider-only figure. Still, a driver turning left across your lane who says "I never saw you" is a common defense. Failure to yield was the top factor police named in the worst mid-block crashes.17

One 2025 case near Rural Road and Lemon Street shows how tangled these can get. Police said an 18-year-old rider collided with a self-driving car that was turning. Seconds later a Camaro struck him and its driver left.18 Detectives traced that driver with video and license plate work.19 When two vehicles and possibly a tech company are involved, sort out who was responsible for what before you accept an offer.

What Arizona motorcycle laws will insurers bring up in Tempe?

TopicThe ruleHow it plays out
HelmetRequired for riders and passengers under 18, not adults5Whether no helmet counts as fault is unsettled20
Eye protectionApproved glasses, goggles or a face shield, unless the bike has a windshield21Expect the insurer to ask
Lane positionA motorcycle has the right to a full lane22A driver who crowded you broke this rule
Passing stopped trafficAllowed only if safe, on streets of 45 mph or less, at 15 mph or less23Many Tempe arterials are posted at 40 mph or more,24 so the posted limit at your spot matters

Your award drops by your share of the blame, and no Arizona statute says if riding without a helmet is part of that share. An insurer may try to argue it anyway. Keep a damaged helmet as evidence rather than tossing it.

How do I get a motorcycle crash report in Tempe?

For a crash on a city street, buy it on BuyCrash. You need the GO number, date and a card.3 If the crash involved a death or a crime such as DUI, it will not be there.25 Reach Records through JustFOIA or [email protected].26 For a freeway crash, DPS asks you to wait 14 days before calling.27

Read the narrative section carefully. If it says you were speeding or "lane splitting," and that is wrong, write down your version now and ask how to add a note to the file.

Where is my motorcycle after a Tempe crash?

It may be at one of three tow companies under contract with the city. Tempe tells you to call the Impound Unit at 480-350-8465 first.28 The yard will not release it without paperwork from police.29 Take photos of the bike, your gear and your phone mount before any repair. An estimate alone is weak proof if the bike has been fixed or sold.

Who pays my bills after a motorcycle accident in Tempe?

  • The at-fault driver's insurance. Arizona's minimum is $25,000 per person,30 which a single surgery can use up.
  • Your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, if your bike policy includes it.31
  • A City of Tempe vehicle or road hazard calls for a notice of claim within 180 days.32
  • Your own share of fault lowers what you can collect but does not stop the claim.33

Severe injuries may send you beyond Tempe. The state list has no trauma center at a Tempe address, and Banner Desert in Mesa is listed as Level I.34 To get Banner's records, use MRO Patient Central.35

What should I ask a motorcycle accident lawyer in Tempe?

  • How often do you handle cases for riders, and how do you answer the helmet argument?
  • Will you look for video near the crash and ask about city cameras?36
  • If more than one vehicle hit me, how do you divide the claim?
  • What is your fee, and who pays case costs if we lose?

Questions

Can I recover money if I was not wearing a helmet in Tempe?

You can bring a claim. Arizona has no adult helmet rule, and whether it reduces your award is unsettled.520

Is lane filtering legal in Tempe?

Only past stopped traffic, when safe, on streets of 45 mph or less, and at 15 mph or less.23

How long do I have after a motorcycle wreck in Tempe?

Generally 2 years to sue.6 Against a public agency, a claim is due in 180 days and suit in 1 year.3738

What if the car that hit me was driverless?

Tell the officer and get the company's name. Arizona's fault rules still decide how blame is shared,33 and a police report on the crash will matter.18

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Tempe

Motorcycle accident

Arizona

Sources

  1. City of Tempe, Safety Action Plan (final, October 2026), checked 2026-11-08. “Motorcycle-involved 481 2.7% 112 27.9%”
  2. Tempe Police, Public Records Request, checked 2026-11-08. “Accident reports approved for public release are available online from November 1, 2021 to the present.”
  3. Tempe Police, Public Records Request, checked 2026-11-08. “You will need the Tempe Police Department report number (GO#), date of accident, and a valid credit card”
  4. Arizona DPS, Request Records, checked 2026-11-08. “maintains records for collisions (accidents) that were investigated by DPS Troopers occurring on an Interstate or State Highway”
  5. A.R.S. § 28-964(A), checked 2026-11-08. “An operator or passenger of a motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle or motor driven cycle who is under eighteen years of age shall wear at all times a protective helmet”
  6. A.R.S. § 12-542, checked 2026-11-08. “within two years after the cause of action accrues”
  7. City of Tempe, Safety Action Plan (final, October 2026), checked 2026-11-08. “there were a total of 17,735 crashes”
  8. Tempe Safety Action Plan, checked 2026-11-08. “Fatal (K) 24 24 8 23 75”
  9. Tempe Safety Action Plan, checked 2026-11-08. “Serious Injury (A) 134 88 36 65 317”
  10. City of Tempe, Safety Action Plan (final, October 2026), checked 2026-11-08. “Motor Vehicles Only 16,271 91.6% 158 39.3%”
  11. City of Tempe, Safety Action Plan (final, October 2026), checked 2026-11-08. “Notably, the number of motorcycle FSI crashes equaled”
  12. Tempe Safety Action Plan, checked 2026-11-08. “despite being a substantially smaller share of roadway users”
  13. ADOT 2024 Crash Facts, checked 2026-11-08. “Maricopa 1,960 123 1,523 314 123 1,586”
  14. Tempe Safety Action Plan, checked 2026-11-08. “about two out of five motorcycle FSI crashes taking place from 6 PM to midnight”
  15. Tempe Safety Action Plan, checked 2026-11-08. “The time of the week with the most FSI crashes was Saturday evening.”
  16. Tempe Safety Action Plan, checked 2026-11-08. “Left Turn 23.7%”
  17. Tempe Safety Action Plan, checked 2026-11-08. “Failure To Yield Right Of Way 44.4%”
  18. Tempe Police news release, Dec. 3, 2025, checked 2026-11-08. “an 18-year-old motorcyclist collided with a self-driving car that was turning”
  19. Tempe Police news release, Dec. 3, 2025, checked 2026-11-08. “Through video analysis, license plate identification, and follow-up investigative work”
  20. A.R.S. § 12-2505(A), checked 2026-11-08. “the claimant's action is not barred, but the full damages shall be reduced in proportion to the relative degree of the claimant's fault”
  21. A.R.S. § 28-964(A), checked 2026-11-08. “An operator of a motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle or motor driven cycle shall wear at all times protective glasses, goggles or a transparent face shield of a type approved by the director unless the motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle or motor driven cycle is equipped with a protective windshield.”
  22. A.R.S. § 28-903(A), checked 2026-11-08. “All motorcycles are entitled to the full use of a lane. A person shall not drive a motor vehicle in such a manner as to deprive any motorcycle of the full use of a lane.”
  23. A.R.S. § 28-903(F), checked 2026-11-08. “The operator of a two-wheeled motorcycle may overtake and pass another vehicle that is stopped in the same direction of travel and in the same lane as the operator and may operate the motorcycle between lanes of traffic if the movement may be made safely [...] Has a speed limit that does not exceed forty-five miles per hour. 2. Travels at a speed that does not exceed fifteen miles per hour.”
  24. Tempe Safety Action Plan, checked 2026-11-08. “70.4 percent of FSI crashes took place on streets with speed limits of 40 MPH or higher”
  25. Tempe Police, Public Records Request, checked 2026-11-08. “accidents involving criminal reports such as DUIs and fatal traffic accident reports are not available”
  26. Tempe Police, Public Records Request, checked 2026-11-08. “Email to [email protected]”
  27. Arizona DPS, Request Records, checked 2026-11-08. “Please wait at least 14 days to check on report availability”
  28. Tempe Police, Tow Company Information, checked 2026-11-08. “please contact the Tempe PD Vehicle Impound Unit at 480-350-8465”
  29. Tempe Police, Vehicle Impound Unit, checked 2026-11-08. “the towing company is not allowed to release an impounded vehicle without paperwork from the Tempe Police Department”
  30. A.R.S. § 28-4009(A)(2)(b), checked 2026-11-08. “(i) $25,000 because of bodily injury to or death of one person in any one accident. (ii) Subject to the limit for one person, $50,000 because of bodily injury to or death of two or more persons in any one accident. (iii) $15,000 because of injury to or destruction of property of others in any one accident.”
  31. A.R.S. § 20-259.01(A), checked 2026-11-08. “Every insurer writing automobile liability or motor vehicle liability policies shall make available to the named insured thereunder and by written notice offer the named insured and at the request of the named insured shall include within the policy uninsured motorist coverage”
  32. City of Tempe, Risk Management, checked 2026-11-08. “claims must be filed with the City Clerk's Office within 180 days after the cause of action accrues”
  33. A.R.S. § 12-2505, checked 2026-11-08. “the claimant's action is not barred, but the full damages shall be reduced in proportion to the relative degree of the claimant's fault”
  34. Arizona Department of Health Services, Designated Trauma Centers, checked 2026-11-08. “Banner Desert Medical Center 1400 South Dobson Rd., Meza, AZ 85202 06/10/24 06/10/27”
  35. Banner Health, Medical Records, checked 2026-11-08. “you can request your medical records from any Banner Health hospital, provider office, or urgent care location.”
  36. City of Tempe, Vision Zero, checked 2026-11-08. “so that police can easily review footage to determine what occurred at traffic incidents”
  37. Arizona Revised Statutes 12-821.01, checked 2026-11-08. “within one hundred eighty days after the cause of action accrues”
  38. A.R.S. § 12-821, checked 2026-11-08. “shall be brought within one year after the cause of action accrues and not afterward”

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