Auto

Facts + Statistics: Motorcycle crashes

By their design, motorcycles are far less crash-worthy (i.e., resistant to the effects of collision) than closed vehicles. Motorcyclists and their passengers are more vulnerable to the hazards of weather and road conditions than drivers in closed vehicles. They are also less visible to other drivers and pedestrians and less stable than four-wheel vehicles. Additionally, motorcycle operation requires a different combination of physical and mental skills than those used in driving cars and trucks.

Motorcycle Helmet Use, 2000-2021 (1)

Year	Percent	Year	Percent
2000	71%	2017	65%
2005	48	2018	71
2010	54	2019	69
2015	61	2020	65
2016	65	2021	67

(1) Based on surveys of motorcyclists using helmets meeting Department of Transportation standards. Surveys conducted in October for 1996-2000 and in June thereafter.

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Occupant Protection Use Survey, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis.

View Archived Tables

Motorcyclist Fatalities And Fatality Rates, 2013-2022

Year	Fatalities	Registered motorcycles	Fatality rate per 100,000 registered motorcycles	Vehicle miles traveled (millions)	Fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled
2013	4,692	8,404,687	55.83	20,366	23.04
2014	4,594	8,417,718	54.58	19,970	23.00
2015	5,029	8,600,936	58.47	19,606	25.65
2016	5,337	8,679,380	61.49	20,445	26.10
2017	5,226	8,664,108	60.32	20,149	25.94
2018	5,038	8,659,741	58.18	20,076	25.09
2019	5,044	8,596,314	58.68	19,688	25.62
2020 (1)	5,620	8,347,435	67.33	17,947	31.31
2021	6,143	9,795,491	62.71	19,642	31.27
2022 (2)	6,218	9,567,664	64.99	23,765	26.16

(1) Due to a vehicle classification change, the 2020 and later year data are not comparable to 2019 and earlier years.
(2) Starting in 2022, motorcyclists exclude people on motorized bicycles.

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; Federal Highway Administration.

View Archived Tables

Motorcyclist Injuries And Injury Rates, 2013-2022

Year	Injuries	Registered motorcycles	Injury rate per 100,000 registered motorcycles	Vehicle miles traveled (millions)	Injury rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled
2013	88,760	8,404,687	1,056	20,366	436
2014	91,987	8,417,718	1,093	19,970	461
2015	88,738	8,600,936	1,032	19,606	453
2016 (1)	104,442	8,679,380	1,203	20,445	511
2017	88,592	8,664,108	1,023	20,149	440
2018	81,859	8,659,741	945	20,076	408
2019	83,814	8,596,314	975	19,688	426
2020 (2)	80,662	8,347,435	966	17,947	449
2021	84,898	9,795,491	867	19,642	432
2022 (3)	82,687	9,567,664	864	23,765	348

(1) NHTSA began using police-reported crash data from the Crash Report Sampling System, replacing the National Automotive Sampling System General Estimates System (GES). NCSA has also changed the methodology of estimating people nonfatally injured in motor vehicle traffic crashes.
(2) Due to a vehicle classification change, the 2020 and later year data are not comparable to 2019 and earlier years.
(3) Starting in 2022, motorcyclists exclude people on motorized bicycles.

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; Federal Highway Administration.

View Archived Tables

Occupant Fatality Rates By Vehicle Type, 2011 And 2020

Fatality rate	Motorcycles	Light trucks	Passenger cars
2011
Per 100,000 registered vehicles	54.87	7.84	9.46
Per 100 million vehicle miles traveled	24.97	0.73	0.88
2020
Per 100,000 registered vehicles	67.08	6.90	10.79
Per 100 million vehicle miles traveled	31.64	0.74	1.15
Percent change, 2011-2020
Per 100,000 registered vehicles	22.3%	-12.0%	14.1%
Per 100 million vehicle miles traveled	26.7%	1.4%	30.7%

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

View Archived Tables

Motorcyclists Killed, by Time of Day and Day of Week, 2020

	Day of week
	Weekday		Weekend		Total
	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent
Motorcyclists killed
Midnight to 3 am	151	5.5%	278	9.9%	429	7.7%
3 am to 6 am	79	2.9	115	4.1	194	3.5
6 am to 9 am	166	6.0	66	2.4	232	4.2
9 am to Noon	221	8.0	205	7.3	426	7.6
Noon to 3 pm	478	17.3	418	14.9	896	16.1
3 pm to 6 pm	716	25.9	547	19.5	1,263	22.6
6 pm to 9 pm	547	19.8	676	24.1	1,223	21.9
9 pm to Midnight	391	14.1	483	17.2	874	15.7
Unknown	16	0.6	18	0.6	42	0.8
Total	2,765	100.0%	2,806	100.0%	5,579 (1)	100.0%

(1) Includes motorcyclists killed on unknown day of week.

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Safety Administration.

View Archived Tables

Vehicles Involved In Fatal Crashes By Vehicle Type, 2011 And 2020

Vehicle involved	2011	2020
Passenger cars
Involved in crashes	17,508	20,868
Rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled	1.28	1.79
Rate per 100,000 registered vehicles	13.79	16.71
Light trucks (1)
Involved in crashes	16,806	20,566
Rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled	1.31	1.47
Rate per 100,000 registered vehicles	14.16	13.72
Motorcycles
Involved in crashes	4,769	5,715
Rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled	25.72	32.41
Rate per 100,000 registered vehicles	56.52	68.71

(1) Trucks with 10,000 pounds or less gross vehicle weight. Includes pickups, vans, truck-based station wagons and utility vehicles.

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Vehicle miles traveled – USDOT, Federal Highway Administration, revised by NHTSA; Registered passenger cars and light trucks – R.L. Polk & Co; Registered motorcycles – USDOT, Federal Highway Administration.

View Archived Tables

Persons Killed In Total And Alcohol-Impaired Crashes By Person Type, 2020

		Alcohol-impaired crash fatalities (1)
Person type	Total killed	Number	Percent of total killed
Vehicle occupants
Driver	19,519	6,756	35%
Passenger	5,966	1,866	31
Unknown occupant	51	3	7
Total	25,536	8,626	34%
Motorcyclists	5,579	1,803	32%
Nonoccupants
Pedestrian	6,516	1,048	16
Pedalcyclist	938	126	13
Other/unknown	255	51	20
Total	7,709	1,225	16%
Total	38,824	11,654	30%

(1) Alcohol-impaired driving crashes are crashes that involve at least one driver or a motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 grams per deciliter or greater, the legal definition of alcohol-impaired driving.

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

View Archived Tables

Drivers In Fatal Crashes By Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) And Vehicle Type, 2011-2020 (1)

	Passenger car			Light truck			Large truck			Motorcycles
		Percent			Percent			Percent			Percent
Year	Total	BAC = 0.01+	BAC = 0.08+	Total	BAC = 0.01+	BAC = 0.08+	Total	BAC = 0.01+	BAC = 0.08+	Total	BAC = 0.01+	BAC = 0.08+
2011	17,401	27%	24%	16,706	25%	21%	3,594	3%	1%	4,761	37%	29%
2012	18,171	26	23	17,230	25	21	3,774	3	2	5,108	35	28
2013	17,850	27	23	16,810	25	21	3,872	4	2	4,795	35	27
2014	17,802	26	22	17,040	25	22	3,701	3	2	4,703	37	29
2015	19,688	25	21	18,763	24	21	4,019	2	1	5,126	34	26
2016	20,730	24	21	19,951	23	20	4,152	3	2	5,414	32	25
2017	20,895	24	21	19,847	23	20	4,600	4	3	5,316	35	27
2018	20,175	24	21	19,663	22	19	4,786	5	3	5,108	33	25
2019	19,469	24	20	19,704	22	19	4,949	3	2	5,111	36	29
2020	20,742	26	23	20,402	23	19	4,778	4	3	5,711	34	27