By their nature, motorcycles fare worse in a crash compared to enclosed vehicles. They are also more demanding to ride, and less visible to other drivers on the road. This is why motorcycles have one of the highest accident rates and fatalities among all types of vehicles.
In this section, we’ll look at what percent of motorcycle accidents result in injury and death for the rider or passenger, based on the latest available data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) as well as other sources.
Percentage of Motorcycle Accidents that Result in Injury
- An estimated 82,000 motorcycle riders were injured in 2018, or 1% of all registered vehicles.
- 89% of motorcycle crashes result in nonfatal injuries.
- Motorcyclists are 4x more likely to be injured than passenger car occupants in terms of distance traveled.
- The most frequent type of motorcycle accident that results in rider injury is when the other vehicle violates the motorcycle’s right of way, according to the Hurt Report.
- About half of motorcycle accidents result in lower body injury, particularly the thigh, leg, knee, ankle or foot regions.
- The average cost of motorcycle injury treatment ranges from $6,000 to $30,000. However, severe cases such as brain and spinal injuries can cost up to $4 million.
10-year Overview of Motorcycle Injuries: 2008 – 2018*
| Year | Injured | Injury rate per 100,000 vehicles | Injury rate per 100 million miles traveled |
| 2008 | 96,000 | 1,238 | 461 |
| 2009 | 89,000 | 1,129 | 430 |
| 2010 | 82,000 | 1,028 | 445 |
| 2011 | 82,000 | 968 | 441 |
| 2012 | 93,000 | 1,103 | 436 |
| 2013 | 89,000 | 1,056 | 436 |
| 2014 | 92,000 | 1,093 | 461 |
| 2015 | 89,000 | 1,032 | 453 |
| 2016 | 104,000 | 1,203 | 511 |
| 2017 | 89,000 | 1,017 | 440 |
| 2018 | 82,000 | 944 | 408 |
*From the NHTSA’s 2018 Factsheet on Motorcycle Safety, based on data from the DOT Federal Highway Administration.
Motorcycle Injury Rate Compared to Other Vehicles (2017)
| Injury Rate | Motorcycles | Passenger cars | Light trucks |
| Per 100,000 registered vehicles | 1,017 | 1,151 | 691 |
| Per 100 million miles traveled | 440 | 107 | 64 |
*From the NHTSA’s 2017 Factsheet on Motorcycle Safety
Percentage of Motorcycle Accidents that Result in Death
- Motorcycles have the highest fatality rate among all vehicles, accounting for 14% of all road accident deaths and 17% of all occupant (driver and passenger) deaths.
- Motorcyclists were 27x more frequently killed compared to occupants of enclosed vehicles.
- Head injuries are the leading cause of motorcycle accident deaths.
- Roughly 60% of motorcycle accident fatalities happen between May to September.
Motorcycle Deaths by Accident Type
- 57% of all motorcycle deaths are due to two-vehicle collisions. Of these, 42% are caused by left-turn accidents.
- Among single-vehicle motorcycle crashes, 43% of dead riders were found to be driving under the influence.
- Motorcycles have the highest rate of fatal collisions with fixed objects than all other vehicles.
- Motorcycles also have the highest fatality rate due to speeding.
10-year Overview of Motorcycle Deaths: 2008 – 2018*
| Year | Deaths | Fatality rate per 100,000 vehicles | Fatality rate per 100 million miles traveled |
| 2008 | 5,312 | 68.52 | 25.52 |
| 2009 | 4,469 | 56.36 | 21.46 |
| 2010 | 4,518 | 56.41 | 24.40 |
| 2011 | 4,630 | 54.87 | 24.97 |
| 2012 | 4,986 | 58.97 | 23.32 |
| 2013 | 4,692 | 55.83 | 23.04 |
| 2014 | 4,594 | 54.58 | 23.00 |
| 2015 | 5,029 | 58.47 | 25.65 |
| 2016 | 5,337 | 61.49 | 26.10 |
| 2017 | 5,172 | 59.34 | 25.95 |
| 2018 | 4,985 | 57.52 | 24.83 |
*From the NHTSA’s 2018 Factsheet on Motorcycle Safety, based on data from the DOT Federal Highway Administration.
Motorcycle Fatality Rate Compared to Other Vehicles (2017)*
| Fatality Rate | Motorcycles | Passenger cars | Light trucks |
| Per 100,000 registered vehicles | 59.34 | 7.52 | 10.53 |
| Per 100 million miles traveled | 25.67 | 0.7 | 0.94 |
*From the NHTSA’s 2017 Factsheet on Motorcycle Safety
Motorcycle Fatality Rate Based on Surroundings and Weather Conditions
- The majority of fatal accidents happened during daylight hours.
- Weather was less of a factor in causing motorcycle deaths, with 96% of fatalities occurring in clear or cloudy conditions.
- Principal arterial roads in urban areas saw more motorcycle deaths than any other road.
Motorcycle Fatality Rate by Age
- Older riders 50 years old and above had the most fatality rate, followed by those below 30.
- The average mortality age is 43.
- Deaths among the 40 and up age group rose by 11% since 2009.
Motorcycle Fatalities by Day and Time (2017)
- More fatal motorcycle accidents happen on weekdays between noon to 6 pm.
- On weekends, more deaths occur from 9 pm to 6 am.
- There are nearly twice as many fatalities on weekends than there are on weekdays.
Motorcycle Fatalities by Engine Displacement
There is a dramatic increase in fatalities for motorcycles that are 500cc and above, which correlates with speeding.
Motorcycle Fatalities and Alcohol
- Motorcycles have the highest fatalities with intoxicated blood levels compared to all other vehicles.
- Of the 4,675 motorcycle deaths in 2018, over a quarter (1,213) were found to be alcohol-impaired, defined as having a BAC of 0.08 g/dL up.
- An additional 8% (373) deaths had lower alcohol levels between 0.01 to 0.07 g/dL.
- The 40-49 years old age group accounted for more than half of alcohol-impaired motorcycle deaths, at 67%.
Motorcycle Fatalities by Driving Record
Data shows that riders killed in motorcycle accidents are more likely to have speeding violations or license suspensions in the past.
Motorcycles also have the highest fatalities with past driving convictions compared to all other vehicles, and in all classes of violations.
Motorcycle Deaths and Helmet Use
- Head injuries remain the top cause of motorcycle deaths.
- Helmets are estimated to be 37% effective in preventing motorcycle rider fatalities and 41% effective in preventing passenger fatalities.
- The NHTSA estimates that helmets helped save 1,872 riders in 2017.
- An additional 749 lives could have been saved had they worn helmets.
- The states with the highest unhelmeted fatalities are:
| State | Percentage of motorcycle fatalities without helmets | Requires helmets? |
| IN | 81% | Not required for 18 above |
| ME and NH | 78% each | ME: Not required for 18 above
NH: No helmet laws |
| IL | 74% | No helmet laws |
| SD | 73% | Not required for 18 above |
| MN and SC | 71% each | MN: Not required for 18 above
SC: Not required for 21 above |
