June 2004 A Brief Statistical Summary Published by the Mathematical Analysis Division DOT HS 809 734 

Motorcycle Riders in Fatal Crashes

Traffic Safety Facts

Crash•Stats

Background: Since 1997, motorcycle rider fatalities have increased 

each year, according to the recently released estimate from the 

National Highway Traffic Safety 

Administration’s (NHTSA) 2003 

Early Assessment. Over the past 

three years NHTSA’s National 

Center for Statistics and Analysis 

(NCSA) has released several technical reports and research notes analyzing the increasing trend in motorcycle rider fatalities. This note 

is a compilation of various crash 

facts relating to motorcycle rider 

fatalities from 1997 to 2003. The fatal crash data are from the Fatality 

Anaysis Reporting System (FARS) 

and exposure data from the Federal 

Highway Administration (FHWA).

Trend Data: Motorcycle rider fatalities, following a longer-term 

trend, declined each year from 1993 

to 1997, reaching a historic low of 

2,116 in 1997. Motorcycle rider fatalities increased each year between 

1997 and 2003 with a total increase 

of 1,476 or 70 percent. According 

to early estimates, 43,220 people 

died in traffic crashes in 2003, a 

net change of 405 from 2002 (Table 

1). In the same period, motorcycle 

crash fatalities increased by 348. 

While other types of crashes have 

also contributed to the net increase 

in fatalities, motorcycles, which 

made up about 2 percent of all registered vehicles and 0.3 percent of 

all vehicle miles traveled (VMT), 

accounted for over 8 percent of the 

fatalities in 2003 compared to 5 percent in 1997, a significant increase 

as a component of the annual loss 

of life in traffic crashes.

Fatality Rates

■ Fatality rates have increased 

in recent years (Table 2) which 

implies that rate of increase in 

fatalities has outpaced the rate 

of increase in motorcycle exposure (VMT and registered vehicles).

◆ Fatalities per 100 million 

 VMT are 33.96, up from 20.99 

 in 1997 (61 percent increase) 

 and per 100,000 registered 

 vehicles 64.82, up from 55.30 

 in 1997 (17 percent increase).

■ Compared with a passenger car 

occupant, a motorcycle rider is 

26 times more likely to die in a 

crash, based on vehicle miles 

traveled.

National Center for Statistics and Analysis 400 Seventh St., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590 

Table 1

Motorcycle Rider Fatalities and Trends in Summary Statistics

Fatalities 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003*

Total Fatalities 42,013 41,501 41,717 41,945 42,196 42,815 43,220

 Change --- - 512 + 216 + 228 + 251 + 619 + 405

Motorcycle Rider 2,116 2,294 2,483 2,897 3,197 3,244 3,592 

Fatalities 

 Change --- + 178 + 189 + 414 + 300 + 47 + 348

Motorcycle Riders 5.0% 5.5% 6.0% 6.9% 7.6% 7.6% 8.3%

(% of Total) 

Source: FARS 1997-2001 (Final), 2002 (ARF), 2003 (EAF)

Table 2

Motorcycle Rider Fatality Rates by Year

Fatality Rate 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003*

/100 Million VMT 20.99 22.31 23.46 27.67 33.17 33.96 ---

/100K Reg. Vehicles 55.30 59.13 59.80 66.66 65.20 64.82 ---

Source: FARS 1997-2001 (Final), 2002 (ARF) FHWA *2003 exposure data not available.
The following facts present some 

of the findings from the various 

analyses completed by NCSA, 

which explain the characteristics 

and magnitude of the fatal motorcycle crash problem.

Motorcycle Helmets

■ In 2003, fifty two percent of fatally injured motorcycle riders were 

unhelmeted.

 ◆ Two-thirds of unhelmeted 

 fatalities were in states with-

 out a universal helmet law.

■ NHTSA research shows that, 

in potentially fatal crashes, helmets have an overall effectiveness of 37 percent in preventing 

fatalities.

 ◆ In 2002, helmets saved an 

 estimated 1,005 lives.

 ◆ At 100 percent use, an 

 additional 579 lives could 

 have been saved in 2002 

 alone.

■ Only 58 percent of motorcyclists 

were observed to be wearing 

helmets according to the 2002 

National Occupant Protection 

Use Survey (NOPUS).

Rider Characteristics

■ The largest ten-year age group of 

rider fatalities is the 20 to 29 year 

olds.

■ However, 46 percent are age 40 

or over, a group that has grown 

steadily from 21 percent in 1993.

■ Forty percent of fatally injured 

operators tested positive for alcohol, and 32 percent had a BAC 

of 0.08 or higher.

 ◆ Alcohol use was highest 

 among operators 40 to 49 

 years old, followed by those 

 30 to 39 years old.

◆ Of operators 40 to 49 years 

 old, 41 percent had a BAC of 

 0.08 or higher.

◆ Of operators 30 to 39 years 

 old, 39 percent had a BAC of 

 0.08 or higher.

■ Twenty-five percent of operators 

involved in fatal crashes had an 

invalid license.

Crash Characteristics

■ Almost half (about 46 percent) 

of fatal motorcycle crashes are 

single vehicle.

■ More fatalities occur on rural 

than urban roads, reversing a 

National Center for Statistics and Analysis 400 Seventh St., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590 

trend that existed from 1990 

through 1997.

■ A majority of the crashes occur 

on undivided roadways (70 percent) and roadways with median 

and no barriers (20 percent).

■ Of fatal crashes that occur at night 

(6:00 PM to 6:00 AM) 58 percent 

involve alcohol compared to only 

18 percent during the day.

◆ Of weekend fatal crashes 

 45 percent are alcohol related 

 compared with 32 percent of 

 weekday crashes.

■ In single vehicle crashes, 52 percent are alcohol related compared 

with 28 percent of multi-vehicle 

crashes.

■ Larger motorcycles are figuring 

more prominently in fatal crashes. The percentage of fatally injured riders of motorcycles with 

engine displacements of 1,001 to 

1,500 cc has risen from about 28 

percent in 1993 to about 38 percent in 2002.

◆ Mean engine size involved in 

 a fatal crash has steadily in- 

 creased from 820 cc in 1993 to 

 999 cc in 2002.

◆ Two-thirds of the riders killed 

 on 1,001-1,500 cc engine size 

 were 40 and over years old.

For questions regarding the data reported in this note, contact Umesh G. Shankar 

[202-366-5558] or William Deutermann [202-366-5206]. The findings in this note 

were obtained from the following NCSA publications: DOT HS 809 271, DOT HS 

809 360, DOT HS 809 500, DOT HS 809 576, DOT HS 809 609, DOT HS 809 715, 

and DOT HS 809 728. This crash stats and other general information on highway 

traffic safety may be accessed by internet users at: http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/

departments/nrd-30/ncsa/AvailInf.html