October 2005 A Brief Statistical Summary DOT HS 809 939

Impaired Motorcycle Operators Involved 

in Fatal Crashes

Traffic Safety Facts

Crash•Stats

Published by NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis

The number of impaired (BAC ≥ .08) motorcycle operators 

involved in fatal crashes has increased the past few years. 

However, the proportional increase of impaired operators 

is lower than the proportional increase of total operators 

involved (see Figure 1 below). The number of motorcycle 

operators involved in fatal crashes has increased by 38 

percent, from 2,971 in 2000 to 4,095 in 2004, whereas the 

number of impaired motorcycle operators has increased only 

by 18 percent, from 944 in 2000 to 1,117 in 2004. Impaired 

motorcycle operators as a proportion of total motorcycle 

operators involved in fatal crashes has declined from 

32 percent in 2000 to 27 percent in 2004. In 2004, a higher 

percent of motorcycle operators involved in fatal crashes 

had blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) of .08 grams per 

deciliter (g/dL) or higher, than any other type of motor 

vehicle (see Table 1). 

Figure 1

Impaired Motorcycle Operators and Operators Involved

This data is from the National Highway Traffic Safety 

Administration (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting 

System (FARS), which annually collects crash statistics from 

50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico and is 

made available by the National Center for Statistics and 

Analysis (NCSA).

Table 1

Drivers/Operators Involved in Fatal Crashes with a 

BAC ≥ .08 g/dL by Vehicle Type

Vehicle Type Percentage

Passenger Cars 22

Light Trucks 21

Large Trucks 1

Motorcycles 27

Source: FARS 2004 (ARF)

Table 2 (overleaf) shows total and impaired motorcycle 

operators involved in fatal crashes by State and year. In 

2004, among the eleven States (in bold) with 100 or more 

motorcycle operators involved in fatal crashes, five States 

(highlighted) had higher proportions of impaired motorcycle 

operators than the national average (27 percent).

Definition: The term ‘impaired’ is used for BAC levels 

.08 g/dL or higher. All 50 States, the District of Columbia, 

and Puerto Rico have by law created a threshold making 

it illegal to drive with a BAC of .08 g/dL or higher. More 

information on “alcohol related” crashes and fatalities could 

be obtained at: www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/

TSF2003/809761.pdf. Impaired Operators Operators Involved

0

1,050

2,100

3,150

4,200

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

2,971

3,261 3,363

3,800

4,095

944 951 1,038 1,106 1,117

For questions regarding the above reported data, contact Cherian Varghese [202-366-1114] or Umesh G. 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/

departments/nrd-30/ncsa/AvailInf.html
NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis

Table 2

Total and Impaired Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal Crashes by State and Year

State

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Total .08+ Total .08+ Total .08+ Total .08+ Total .08+

Num Num % Num Num % Num Num % Num Num % Num Num %

Alabama 47 18 39 42 13 31 45 10 22 52 14 28 74 14 19

Alaska 6 4 63 8 5 63 12 4 33 13 3 20 8 3 33

Arizona 93 27 29 76 21 28 96 31 32 113 22 20 117 33 28

Arkansas 28 9 31 37 9 24 39 10 27 52 16 31 57 9 17

California 286 76 27 300 67 22 331 75 23 399 99 25 460 109 24

Colorado 76 26 35 83 27 32 76 24 32 71 25 35 80 18 22

Connecticut 51 22 42 49 14 29 50 13 26 29 11 38 60 23 38

Delaware 5 1 20 10 4 39 8 6 71 12 5 40 8 2 29

Dist of Columbia 6 2 35 6 1 23 7 2 31 7 3 36 9 0 2

Florida 270 66 25 292 89 30 336 108 32 380 115 30 437 109 25

Georgia 62 10 17 101 19 19 85 21 25 108 26 24 114 23 20

Hawaii 20 9 47 19 4 18 23 6 26 21 6 28 21 8 39

Idaho 18 7 41 19 7 35 12 2 19 19 6 33 26 9 34

Illinois 128 40 31 138 42 31 103 35 34 140 55 39 161 56 35

Indiana 73 22 30 85 28 33 89 26 30 82 24 30 105 23 22

Iowa 31 9 30 41 13 31 42 9 22 46 16 35 38 10 27

Kansas 21 5 26 30 9 29 31 11 34 33 11 33 32 8 23

Kentucky 39 14 36 60 13 21 45 11 24 58 11 18 67 20 30

Louisiana 58 22 39 64 17 26 72 22 31 86 32 37 76 20 26

Maine 18 6 33 14 3 21 13 1 10 22 9 40 23 5 23

Maryland 48 13 26 56 11 20 58 16 27 61 13 21 68 21 30

Massachusetts 33 10 30 55 13 24 62 21 34 37 11 29 58 20 35

Michigan 90 25 28 100 28 28 87 23 27 84 26 31 83 25 30

Minnesota 38 9 25 41 12 30 47 15 31 63 18 29 55 11 20

Mississippi 21 4 19 28 7 24 25 8 32 43 9 21 40 11 26

Missouri 44 18 41 54 16 29 59 19 32 90 26 29 57 15 27

Montana 14 6 41 12 6 49 25 6 23 12 4 33 20 5 27

Nebraska 3 0 0 10 4 44 16 7 46 13 0 2 20 3 16

Nevada 21 7 32 24 5 19 34 8 22 28 6 21 60 16 26

New Hampshire 26 7 28 25 7 28 14 5 34 10 1 11 32 9 27

New Jersey 54 17 31 72 16 22 52 17 32 56 16 28 73 21 28

New Mexico 27 9 34 33 7 21 34 10 29 34 11 33 38 10 26

New York 126 27 22 148 28 19 149 32 21 161 35 22 151 33 22

North Carolina 103 21 21 111 29 27 124 30 24 108 27 25 139 34 24

North Dakota 4 0 3 4 1 13 1 0 20 4 2 50 9 4 39

Ohio 130 55 42 123 57 47 138 60 44 143 50 35 135 45 33

Oklahoma 23 10 44 36 11 30 38 10 26 44 13 31 72 25 34

Oregon 40 11 27 33 10 31 26 10 39 42 14 34 36 10 26

Pennsylvania 156 62 40 138 47 34 136 52 38 159 48 30 163 60 37

Rhode Island 12 6 50 6 1 17 10 4 43 13 5 42 10 6 64

South Carolina 85 33 39 89 38 42 91 43 47 94 33 35 96 26 28

South Dakota 25 7 28 21 6 30 25 4 17 22 4 19 28 2 6

Tennessee 69 19 28 78 21 27 78 24 30 92 25 27 96 24 25

Texas 232 99 43 241 89 37 267 103 39 346 116 34 286 101 35

Utah 22 8 36 28 3 10 18 4 21 23 1 6 30 4 15

Vermont 6 1 17 13 3 24 5 1 20 4 2 50 11 2 21

Virginia 43 7 16 45 14 30 54 16 30 57 13 22 59 19 31

Washington 37 18 49 57 19 33 53 19 36 60 15 25 72 17 23

West Virginia 17 7 40 21 5 24 29 8 26 31 10 33 28 5 16

Wisconsin 80 32 40 76 31 40 82 33 41 103 41 40 83 28 34

Wyoming 6 0 2 9 5 51 11 5 46 20 4 21 14 7 49

NATIONAL 2,971 944 32 3,261 951 29 3,363 1,038 31 3,800 1,106 29 4,095 1,117 27

Puerto Rico 51 11 22 49 17 35 63 17 27 58 12 21 68 22 32

Source: NCSA, FARS 2000-2003 (Final), 2004 (ARF)