Facts + Statistics: Motorcycle crashes

Motorcycles are by their nature far less crashworthy than closed vehicles. They are also less visible to other drivers and pedestrians and less stable than four-wheel vehicles. Operating a motorcycle requires a different combination of physical and mental skills than those used in driving four-wheel vehicles. Motorcyclists and their passengers are more vulnerable to the hazards of weather and road conditions than drivers in closed vehicles.

In 2018, 4,985 motorcyclists died in motorcycle crashes, down 5 percent from 5,229 in 2017, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In 2018, motorcyclists were 27 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die in a crash per vehicle miles traveled.

Note: statistics on fatal motorcycle crashes are also available from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

 
Motorcycle Helmet Use, 2000-2019 (1)

 

Year Percent Year Percent
2000 71% 2015 61%
2005 48 2016 65
2010 54 2017 65
2013 60 2018 71
2014 64 2019 71

(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.

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NHTSA estimates that helmets saved the lives of 1,872 motorcyclists in 2017. If all motorcyclists had worn helmets, an additional 749 lives could have been saved. Helmets are estimated to be 37 percent effective in preventing fatal injuries to motorcycle riders and 41 percent for motorcycle passengers. In other words, for every 100 motorcycle riders killed in crashes while not wearing a helmet, 37 of them could have been saved had all 100 worn helmets. NHTSA also found that nearly $3.5 billion in economic costs and $21 billion in comprehensive costs were saved in 2017 by the use of motorcycle helmets. Moreover, if all motorcyclists had worn helmets in 2017, an additional $1.5 billion in economic costs and $8.9 billion in comprehensive costs could have been saved. Economic costs include lost productivity, medical costs, legal and court costs, emergency medical service (EMS) costs, insurance administration costs, congestion costs (including travel delay and other costs), property damage, and workplace losses. Comprehensive costs include economic costs plus the valuation for lost quality of life.

 
Motorcyclist Fatalities And Fatality Rates, 2009-2018

 

Year Fatalities Registered
motorcycles		 Fatality rate per
100,000 registered
motorcycles		 Vehicle miles
traveled
(millions)		 Fatality rate per
100 million vehicle
miles traveled
2009 4,469 7,929,724 56.36 20,822 21.46
2010 4,518 8,009,503 56.41 18,513 24.40
2011 4,630 8,437,502 54.87 18,542 24.97
2012 4,986 8,454,939 58.97 21,385 23.32
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 5,229 8,715,204 60.00 20,149 25.95
2018 4,985 8,666,185 57.52 20,076 24.83

NA=Data not available.

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

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Motorcyclist Injuries And Injury Rates, 2009-2018

 

Year Injuries Registered
motorcycles		 Injury rate
per 100,000
registered motorcycles		 Vehicle miles
traveled (millions)		 Injury rate
per 100 million
vehicle miles traveled
2009 89,000 7,929,724 1,129 20,822 430
2010 82,000 8,009,503 1,028 18,513 445
2011 82,000 8,437,502 968 18,542 441
2012 93,000 8,454,939 1,103 21,385 436
2013 89,000 8,404,687 1,056 20,366 436
2014 92,000 8,417,718 1,093 19,970 461
2015 89,000 8,600,936 1,032 19,606 453
2016 (1) 104,000 8,679,380 1,203 20,445 511
2017 89,000 8,715,204 1,017 20,149 440
2018 82,000 8,666,185 944 20,076 408

(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.

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

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Occupant Fatality Rates By Vehicle Type, 2009 And 2018

 

Fatality rate Motorcycles Light trucks Passenger cars
2009      
     Per 100,000 registered vehicles 56.36 10.11 9.57
     Per 100 million vehicle miles traveled 21.46 0.92 0.87 (1)
2018      
     Per 100,000 registered vehicles 57.52 7.02 9.61
     Per 100 million vehicle miles traveled 24.83 0.66 0.91 (1)
Percent change, 2009-2018      
     Per 100,000 registered vehicles 2.1% -30.6% 0.4%
     Per 100 million vehicle miles traveled 15.7 -28.3 4.6

(1) Per 10 million vehicle miles traveled.

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

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Motorcyclists Killed, by Time of Day and Day of Week, 2018

 

  Day of Week  
  Weekday Weekend Total
Motorcyclists killed            
Midnight to 3 am 145 5.6% 251 10.5% 396 7.9%
3 am to 6 am 82 3.2 110 4.6 192 3.9
6 am to 9 am 221 8.6 66 2.8 287 5.8
9 am to Noon 258 10.0 187 7.8 445 8.9
Noon to 3 pm 428 16.6 359 15.0 787 15.8
3 pm to 6 pm 641 24.9 426 17.8 1,067 21.4
6 pm to 9 pm 482 18.7 568 23.7 1,050 21.1
9 pm to Midnight 310 12.0 415 17.3 725 14.5
Unknown 11 0.4 15 0.6 36 0.7
Total 2,578 100.0% 2,397 100.0% 4,985 (1) 100.0%

(1) Includes 10 motorcyclists killed on unknown day of week.

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

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Vehicles Involved In Fatal Crashes By Vehicle Type, 2009 And 2018

 

  Fatal crashes
  2009 2018
Passenger cars    
Involved in crashes 18,413 20,333
Rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled 1.22 1.45
Rate per 100,000 registered vehicles 13.42 15.30
Light trucks (1)    
Involved in crashes 17,958 19,775
Rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled 1.6 1.32
Rate per 100,000 registered vehicles 17.6 14.00
Motorcycles    
Involved in crashes 4,603 5,115
Rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled 22.11 25.48
Rate per 100,000 registered vehicles 58.05 59.02

(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.

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Persons Killed In Total And Alcohol-Impaired Crashes By Person Type, 2018

 

    Alcohol-impaired crash fatalities (1)
Person type Total killed Number Percent of
total killed
Vehicle occupants      
     Driver          18,250            6,022  33% 
     Passenger             5,915            1,761              30
     Unknown occupant                  56                   1                1
     Total          24,221           7,784  32% 
Motorcyclists            4,985           1,549  31% 
Nonoccupants      
     Pedestrian             6,283            1,004              16
     Pedalcyclist                857               130              15
     Other/unknown                214                 44              21
     Total            7,354           1,178  16% 
Total          36,560         10,511  29% 

(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.

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Drivers In Fatal Crashes By Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) And Vehicle Type, 2009-2018 (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+
2009 18,344 27% 23% 17,878 27% 23% 3,182 3% 2% 4,601 36% 29%
2010 17,710 27 24 17,385 25 22 3,456 2 1 4,647 36 28
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

(1) NHTSA estimates alcohol involvement when alcohol test results are unknown.

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

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Background on: Motorcycle crashes