Published by NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590

DOT HS 810 820 A Brief Statistical Summary August 2007

Traffic Safety Facts

Crash • Stats

Fatalities from motor vehicle traffic crashes declined by 

868 (2%) from 43,510 in 2005 to 42,642 in 2006. However, 

motorcycle rider fatalities increased by 5.1 percent, from 

4,576 in 2005 to 4,810 in 2006. Motorcycle rider fatalities as 

a proportion of overall fatalities increased from 10.5 percent 

in 2005 to 11.3 percent in 2006. Motorcycle rider fatalities in 

Table 1 Total Fatalities, Motorcycle Rider Fatalities, and Motorcycle Rider Fatalities as Percent of Total 

Fatalities, by Year

Year Total Fatalities Motorcycle Rider Fatalities Motorcycle Rider Fatalities as 

Percent of Total Fatalities

2002 43,005 3,270 7.6%

2003 42,884 3,714 8.7%

2004 42,836 4,028 9.4%

2005 43,510 4,576 10.5%

2006 42,642 4,810 11.3%

Source: NCSA, FARS 2002-2005 (Final), 2006 (ARF)

In 2006, 27 States and Puerto Rico had increases and 19 States 

and the District of Columbia had declines in motorcycle rider 

fatalities when compared to 2005. There were 4 States with no 

change in motorcycle rider fatalities from 2005. Of the States 

that had increases in motorcycle rider fatalities, Florida (94), 

Alabama (43), and California (37) had the highest absolute 

increases. The States with the highest percentage increases 

in motorcycle rider fatalities from 2005 to 2006 were Alaska 

(125.0%), Kansas (82.9%), and Alabama (69.4%). 

Among the States with declines in motorcycle rider fatalities, 

Illinois (26), New Hampshire (23), and Ohio (20) had the 

highest absolute declines. Of the States that had decline 

in motorcycle rider fatality percentage from 2005 to 2006, 

Comparison of Motorcycle Rider Fatalities in 

Traffic Crashes, 2005-2006

the past five years increased by 47 percent, from 3,270 in 2002 

to 4,810 in 2006. This data is from the National Highway 

Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting 

System (FARS). Table 1 shows total fatalities, motorcycle 

rider fatalities, and motorcycle rider fatalities as percent of 

total fatalities from 2002 to 2006.

New Hampshire (52.3%), Delaware (42.9%), North Dakota 

(33.3%), and the District of Columbia (83.3%) had the highest 

declines. 

In 2006, the motorcycle rider fatality proportion among 

overall fatalities was higher than the national average 

(11.3) in 25 States and Puerto Rico. Motorcycle rider fatality 

proportion among overall fatalities was highest for Puerto 

Rico (22.7%) and lowest for the District of Columbia (2.7%). 

Table 2 shows overall fatalities and motorcycle rider fatalities 

in the United States in 2005 and 2006, change and percentage 

change in overall fatalities and motorcycle rider fatalities 

from 2005 to 2006, and motorcycle rider fatality proportion 

among overall fatalities in 2005 and 2006 by State.
Published by NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590

Table 2: Motorcycle Rider Fatalities in Traffic Crashes by State, Year, Change, Percentage Change, and 

Motorcycle Rider Fatalities as Percentage of Total Fatalities

State Motorcycle (MC) Rider Fatalities Change % Change

MC Rider Fatalities as 

Percentage of Total Fatalities

2005 2006 2005 2006

Alabama 62 105 43 69.4 5.4 8.7

Alaska 4 9 5 125.0 5.5 12.2

Arizona 138 142 4 2.9 11.7 11.0

Arkansas 63 76 13 20.6 9.6 11.4

California 469 506 37 7.9 10.8 11.9

Colorado 87 74 -13 -14.9 14.4 13.8

Connecticut 43 53 10 23.3 15.5 17.6

Delaware 21 12 -9 -42.9 15.8 8.1

Dist of Columbia 6 1 -5 -83.3 12.5 2.7

Florida 468 562 94 20.1 13.3 16.7

Georgia 144 154 10 6.9 8.3 9.1

Hawaii 30 27 -3 -10.0 21.4 16.8

Idaho 26 38 12 46.2 9.5 14.2

Illinois 158 132 -26 -16.5 11.6 10.5

Indiana 110 110 0 0.0 11.7 12.2

Iowa 45 57 12 26.7 10.0 13.0

Kansas 35 64 29 82.9 8.2 13.7

Kentucky 89 98 9 10.1 9.0 10.7

Louisiana 75 95 20 26.7 7.8 9.7

Maine 15 23 8 53.3 8.9 12.2

Maryland 85 84 -1 -1.2 13.8 12.9

Massachusetts 56 50 -6 -10.7 12.7 11.6

Michigan 124 114 -10 -8.1 11.0 10.5

Minnesota 59 67 8 13.6 10.6 13.6

Mississippi 39 55 16 41.0 4.2 6.0

Missouri 91 93 2 2.2 7.2 8.5

Montana 28 26 -2 -7.1 11.2 9.9

Nebraska 17 18 1 5.9 6.2 6.7

Nevada 56 50 -6 -10.7 13.1 11.6

New Hampshire 44 21 -23 -52.3 26.5 16.5

New Jersey 61 87 26 42.6 8.2 11.3

New Mexico 38 43 5 13.2 7.8 8.9

New York 162 192 30 18.5 11.3 13.2

North Carolina 152 150 -2 -1.3 9.8 9.6

North Dakota 6 4 -2 -33.3 4.9 3.6

Ohio 178 158 -20 -11.2 13.5 12.8

Oklahoma 77 64 -13 -16.9 9.6 8.4

Oregon 48 44 -4 -8.3 9.9 9.2

Pennsylvania 205 188 -17 -8.3 12.7 12.3

Rhode Island 14 16 2 14.3 16.1 19.8

South Carolina 106 109 3 2.8 9.7 10.5

South Dakota 22 22 0 0.0 11.8 11.5

Tennessee 129 140 11 8.5 10.2 10.9

Texas 364 346 -18 -4.9 10.3 10.0

Utah 23 24 1 4.3 8.2 8.4

Vermont 14 10 -4 -28.6 19.2 11.5

Virginia 69 69 0 0.0 7.3 7.2

Washington 74 80 6 8.1 11.4 12.7

West Virginia 34 38 4 11.8 9.1 9.3

Wisconsin 93 93 0 0.0 11.4 12.8

Wyoming 20 17 -3 -15.0 11.8 8.7

National 4,576 4,810 234 5.1 10.5 11.3

Puerto Rico 90 115 25 27.8 19.7 22.7

Source: NCSA, FARS 2005 (Final), 2006 (ARF)

For questions regarding the above reported data, contact Cherian Varghese, 

202-366-1114, or Umesh Shankar, 202-366-5558. This issue of Crash•Stats 

and other general information on highway traffic safety may be accessed by 

Internet users at: www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/CMSWeb/index.aspx