National Center for Statistics and Analysis 400 Seventh St., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590 1

U.S. Department 

Of Transportation 

National Highway 

Traffic Safety 

Administration

DOT HS 809 576 Research Note April 2003

Alcohol Involvement in Fatal Motorcycle Crashes 

Umesh G. Shankar* 

The National Highway Traffic Safety 

Administration’s (NHTSA) National Center for 

Statistics and Analysis (NCSA) released a 

comprehensive analysis of fatal motorcycle 

crashes titled “Recent Trends in Fatal 

Motorcycle Crashes” (DOT HS 809 271) in July 

2001 and two research notes “Motorcyclist 

Fatalities in 2000” (DOT HS 809 387) in 

December 2001 and “Motorcyclist Fatalities in 

2001” (DOT HS 809 548) in February 2003. 

The report examined trends and rates of 

motorcycle riders (motorcyclists) killed in motor 

vehicle crashes during the ten year period 1990-

1999 and the research notes compared the trends 

and rates in the report with the 2000 and 2001 

data. This research note focuses in detail on the 

problem of alcohol involvement in fatal 

motorcycle crashes based on who are involved, 

where and when the crashes occur and other 

crash charateristics. 

Background 

Motorcyclist fatalities, following a longer-term 

trend, declined each year from 1993 to 1997, 

reaching an historic low of 2,116 in 1997. 

Fatalities among motorcycle riders then 

increased in 1998 to 2,294 (an 8.4 percent 

jump), in 1999 to 2,483 (a 8.2 percent increase) 

and again in 2000 to 2,897 (a 16.7 percent 

jump). These increases in motorcyclist 

fatalities, reversing a long-term trend, prompted 

NCSA to examine factors related to fatal 

motorcycle crashes and resulted in the 

aforementioned report and research notes. The 

2001 Fatality Analysis Reporting System 

(FARS) data show that motorcyclist fatalities 

increased to 3,181, an increase of 9.8 percent 

from 2000. The total increase in fatalities 

between 1997 and 2001 is 1,065 or 50.3 percent. 

FARS Data 

NCSA collects and analyzes data, conducts 

research, and disseminates statistical information 

to support efforts by NHTSA and the highway 

safety community aimed at reducing deaths, 

injuries and economic losses resulting from 

motor vehicle crashes. The FARS database, a 

national census of police-reported motor vehicle 

crashes resulting in fatal injuries, developed and 

run by NCSA, is one of the tools used to support 

these efforts. To be included in FARS, a crash 

must involve a motor vehicle traveling on a 

traffic way customarily open to the public, and 

result in the death of a person (either an 

occupant of a vehicle or a non-motorist) within 

30 days of the crash. For a complete description 

of FARS, go to: 

http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/departments/nrd30/ncsa/FARS.html.

Alcohol Methodology 

In 2001, NHTSA began using a revised method 

– multiple imputation – to estimate missing 

information about blood alcohol concentration 

(BAC) levels for persons involved in fatal 

crashes. The alcohol estimates in this research 

note are based on the new imputation method. 

The new method will enable NHTSA to improve 

the scope of alcohol involvement statistics 

generated from FARS. 

*Umesh G. Shankar is a Mathematical Statistician 

in the Mathematical Analysis Division, National 

Center for Statistics and Analysis, NHTSA.
 National Center for Statistics and Analysis 400 Seventh St., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590 2

Instead of estimating alcohol involvement in the 

three categories used in the past (0.00, 0.01-

0.09, and 0.10+ grams per deciliter [g/dl]), the 

new method estimates BAC levels over the 

entire range of plausible values from 0.00 to 

0.94 g/dl. As a result, NHTSA will have the 

ability to report alcohol involvement at any BAC 

level. Because many states have adopted 0.08 

g/dl as the legal threshold for alcohol 

intoxication, NHTSA now calculates alcohol 

involvement in the following three categories: 

0.00 g/dl, no alcohol; 0.01-0.07 g/dl, impaired; 

and 0.08+, intoxicated. More information on the 

new multiple imputation method, including 

detailed tabulations of alcohol involvement in 

various categories (age, sex, time of day, etc.), is 

available in NHTSA Technical Report DOT HS 

809 430, Transitioning to Multiple Imputation: 

A New Method to Estimate Missing Blood 

Alcohol Concentration (BAC) Values in FARS. 

Occupant Fatality Rate per 100M Vehicle 

Miles Traveled by Vehicle Type and Year 

Table 1 shows the occupant fatality rate per 

100M vehicle miles traveled (VMT) by vehicle 

type and year. The data shows that per vehicle 

mile, motorcyclists were about 26 times as likely 

as passenger car occupants to die in a traffic 

crash in 2001. Similarly, motorcyclists were 

about 28 times as likely as light truck occupants 

to die in a traffic crash. This may be attributed 

to the distinct differences in the operation and 

vehicle body characteristics and safety provided 

to passenger car and light truck occupants 

compared to motorcycle occupants (riders). 

Table 1 

Occupant Fatality Rate per 100M VMT by 

Vehicle Type and Year 

Year Vehicle Type 1999 2000 2001 

Pass Cars 1.33 1.31 1.28 

Light Trucks 1.25 1.22 1.20 

Motorcycles 23.46 27.67 33.38 

Source: NCSA, NHTSA, FARS 1999-2001 and 

Federal Highway Administration VMT data 

Driver Alcohol Involvement in Fatal Crashes 

by Vehicle Type in 2001 

Table 2 shows the alcohol involvement of 

passenger vehicle and motorcycle drivers in 

2001 by driver BAC. Motorcycle drivers had 

the highest alcohol involvement (37 percent) 

among all vehicle types. 

Table 2 

Driver Alcohol Involvement in Fatal 

Crashes by Vehicle Type in 2001 

Alcohol Involvement 

BAC 0.00 BAC≥0.01 Vehicle 

Type No. % No. % 

Pass Cars 19,874 73 7,413 27 

SUVs 4,327 73 1,562 27 

Vans 3,102 84 605 16 

Pickups 7,531 69 3,362 31 

Motorcycles 2,054 63 1,191 37 

Source: NCSA, NHTSA, FARS 2001 

The difference in the vehicle body structure and 

operation of passenger cars and light trucks to 

motorcycles provides some of the needed safety 

to the occupants of passenger cars and light 

trucks. Alcohol involvement among motorcycle 

drivers was higher than passenger car and light 

truck drivers in fatal crashes in 2001. Hence, 

when these two factors are combined and 

compared to other vehicle types, the operation of 

a motorcycle combined with alcohol can lead to 

deadly consequences for motorcycle occupants. 

Definition of Involvement 

Alcohol involved or alcohol-positive in a crash is 

defined as an operator or actively involved nonoccupant (pedestrian, pedalcyclist) with a 

BAC≥0.01. An operator involved (operator can 

either be killed or survived in the crash) in a 

fatal crash means that at least one fatality 

occurred in the crash, meaning the fatally 

injured person can either be the operator, 

passenger, pedestrian, pedalcyclist or occupant 

of another vehicle involved in the crash. 
 National Center for Statistics and Analysis 400 Seventh St., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590 3

Data Analysis 

The results of alcohol involvement among 

motorcyclists in fatal crashes are based on the 

analysis of the above FARS variables and are 

presented below. 

1. Person Type: Table 3 shows the number 

and percent of motorcyclists involved in 

fatal crashes by year and person type. In 

2001, 88 percent of the motorcyclists 

involved were motorcycle operators 

(drivers). This proportion has not changed 

significantly in the past 10 years. Since a 

majority of the motorcyclists involved in 

fatal crashes are operators, all further 

analysis of the data relating to alcohol 

involvement will be based on operators 

involved, by their BAC in crashes. The 

number of operators involved reached an 

historic low of 2,159 in 1997 since FARS 

started collecting data in 1975. Since 1997, 

the number of operators involved has 

increased each year. In 2001, 3,245 

operators were involved in fatal crashes, an 

increase of over 50 percent from 1997.

Table 3 

Motorcyclists Involved in Fatal Crashes by 

Year and Person Type 

Person Type 

Operator Passenger Year 

No. % No. % 

1992 2,435 85 433 15 

1993 2,471 85 445 15 

1994 2,330 86 373 14 

1995 2,262 85 394 15 

1996 2,175 85 376 15 

1997 2,159 86 357 14 

1998 2,333 86 379 14 

1999 2,528 87 379 13 

2000 2,971 87 443 13 

2001 3,245 88 461 12 

Source: NCSA, NHTSA, FARS 1992-2001 

2. Sex of Operator: Table 4 shows the number 

and percent of motorcycle operators 

involved in fatal crashes by their sex 

(gender). In 2001, there were 3,139 (97 

percent) male operators involved in fatal 

crashes. This proportion of male to female 

has not changed much since 1992. The 

number of male operators involved has 

increased each year since 1997. The number 

of male operators involved between 1997 

and 2001 increased over 49 percent. 

Table 4 

Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal 

Crashes by Year and Sex (Gender) 

Operator Sex (Gender) 

Male Female Year 

No. % No. % 

1992 2,386 98 49 2 

1993 2,412 98 57 2 

1994 2,267 97 62 3 

1995 2,199 97 63 3 

1996 2,116 97 58 3 

1997 2,101 97 58 3 

1998 2,274 97 58 2 

1999 2,454 97 72 3 

2000 2,873 97 96 3 

2001 3,139 97 104 3 

Source: NCSA, NHTSA, FARS 1992-2001 

3. Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal 

Crashes by Year and Age Group: The 

number of motorcycle operators involved by 

year and age group is shown in Table 5. 

Between 1992 and 2001, the highest number 

of operators involved among all age groups 

was in the 20-29 year old age group. 

However, the number of operators involved 

in the 40-49 and over 49-year old age group 

has increased each year between 1992 and 

2001. The number of operators in the 40-49 

year old age group increased by 2.6 times, 

the over 49 year old age group by 3.2 times. 

These increases indicate a shift in trend of 

40 year old and over operator involvement 

in fatal motorcycle crashes. From 1992 to 
 National Center for Statistics and Analysis 400 Seventh St., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590 4

2001 the number of operators in the under 

20 and 20-29 year old age group declined. 

The number of operators in the 30-39 year 

old age group showed a small increase 

between these same years. Refer to the 

“Recent Trends in Fatal Motorcycle 

Crashes” (DOT HS 809 271) report for 

motorcyclist fatality rates by age group. 

Table 5 

Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal 

Crashes by Year and Age Group 

Age Group Year 

<20 20-29 30-39 40-49 >49 

1992 416 892 667 288 169 

1993 364 898 687 338 179 

1994 353 814 615 346 199 

1995 283 811 604 358 204 

1996 264 690 565 429 225 

1997 219 648 562 425 304 

1998 237 684 627 487 296 

1999 192 709 633 584 408 

2000 257 760 732 698 519 

2001 284 843 828 745 541 

Source: NCSA, NHTSA, FARS 1992-2001 

4. Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal 

Crashes by Year and BAC Level: Table 6 

and Chart 1 show the alcohol involvement 

among motorcycle operators involved in 

fatal crashes by year and operator BAC level 

from 1992 to 2001. The alcohol 

involvement has slowly but steadily 

declined from 49 percent in 1992 to 37 

percent in 2001. However, in 2001, over 

one-third of operators involved were still 

found to have been drinking and riding at 

the time of the crash. A majority of the 

operators were intoxicated (BAC≥0.08) 

among alcohol-positive operators. In fact, 

the ratio of intoxicated motorcycle operators 

to impaired operators was nearly 4 to 1. 

These numbers indicate that though alcohol 

involvement has shown a steady decline in 

the past ten years, it still continues to be a 

major problem among motorcycle operators. 

Table 6 

Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal 

Crashes by Year and Operator BAC

Alcohol Involvement 

Year 0.00 0.01-0.07 0.08+ 

No. % No. % No. % 

1992 1,248 51 214 9 973 40 

1993 1,351 55 188 8 932 38 

1994 1,376 59 185 8 769 33 

1995 1,320 58 195 9 747 33 

1996 1,229 57 178 8 768 35 

1997 1,278 59 182 9 699 32 

1998 1,375 59 155 7 803 34 

1999 1,515 60 183 7 830 33 

2000 1,784 60 244 8 944 32 

2001 2,054 63 249 8 942 29 

Source: NCSA, NHTSA, FARS 1992-2001

Chart 1 

Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal 

Crashes by Year and BAC Level 

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

1992 1994 1996 1998 2000

BAC 0.00 BAC 0.01-0.07 BAC 0.08+

Source: NCSA, NHTSA, FARS 1992-2001

5. Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal 

Crashes in 2001 by Age Group and BAC: 

Table 7 and Chart 2 show motorcycle 

operators involved in fatal crashes in 2001 

by age group and operator BAC. The 

highest percentage of alcohol involvement 

among all motorcycle operator age groups 

was in the 40-49 year old age group, 

followed by the 30-39 year old age group. 

In 2001, almost half (46 percent) of all 40-
 National Center for Statistics and Analysis 400 Seventh St., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590 5

49 year old age group operators were 

alcohol-positive. Out of the 344 operators in 

the 40-49 year old age group, 282 (82 

percent) were intoxicated (BAC≥0.08). 

Similarly, in the 30-39 year old age group, 

over 80 percent were intoxicated out of the 

373 alcohol-positive operators. 

Table 7 

Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal 

Crashes in 2001 by Age Group and BAC

Alcohol Involvement 

0.00 0.01-0.07 0.08+ Age 

Group No. % No. % No. % 

< 20 249 88 8 3 27 9 

20-29 560 66 77 9 206 24 

30-39 455 55 72 9 301 36 

40-49 401 54 62 8 282 38 

> 49 386 71 29 5 126 23 

Unknown 3 78 0 0 1 23 

Total 2,054 63 249 8 942 29 

Source: NCSA, NHTSA, FARS 2001

Chart 2 

Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal 

Crashes in 2001 by Age Group and BAC 

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

<20 20-29 30-39 40-49 >49

BAC 0.00 BAC 0.01-0.07 BAC 0.08+

Source: NCSA, NHTSA, FARS 2001

6. Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal 

Crashes in 2001 by Land Use and BAC: 

Table 8 shows motorcycle operators 

involved in fatal crashes in 2001 by land use 

(rural/urban) and operator BAC. There is no 

significant difference in proportion of 

alcohol involvement between rural and 

urban roads. The number of operators 

involved on rural roads was slightly higher 

than the number involved on urban roads. 

The number of unknowns in 2001 could 

change with release of the final FARS 2001 

file.

Table 8 

Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal 

Crashes in 2001 by Land Use and BAC

Alcohol Involvement 

0.00 0.01-0.07 0.08+ 

Land 

Use 

No. % No. % No. % 

Rural 1,004 63 116 7 473 30 

Urban 901 63 124 9 412 29 

Unknown 149 69 10 5 57 26 

Total 2,054 63 244 8 942 29 

Source: NCSA, NHTSA, FARS 2001

7. Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal 

Crashes in 2001 by Type of Crash and 

BAC: Table 9 and Chart 3 show motorcycle 

operators involved in fatal crashes in 2001 

by type of crash (single vehicle/multiple 

vehicle) and operator BAC. Motorcycle 

operators were almost twice as likely to be 

alcohol-positive in single vehicle crashes 

compared to multiple vehicle crashes (49 

percent vs. 27 percent). 

 

Table 9 

Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal 

Crashes in 2001 by Type of Crash and BAC

Alcohol Involvement 

0.00 0.01-0.07 0.08+ Type of 

Crash 

No. % No. % No. % 

Single 

Vehicle 742 51 120 8 591 41 

Multiple 

Vehicle 1,312 73 129 7 351 20 

Total 2,054 63 249 8 942 29 

Source: NCSA, NHTSA, FARS 2001
 National Center for Statistics and Analysis 400 Seventh St., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590 6

Chart 3 

Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal 

Crashes in 2001 by Type of Crash and BAC 

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Single Vehicle Multiple Vehicle

BAC 0.00 BAC 0.01-0.07 BAC 0.08+

Source: NCSA, NHTSA, FARS 2001

8. Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal 

Crashes by Year and Engine Size: Table 

10 and Chart 4 show motorcycle operators 

involved in fatal crashes by year and engine 

size in cubic centimeters (cc) from 1992 to 

2001. The data show that there has been a 

noticeable increase in operators involved 

within the 1,001-1,500 cc engine size group 

in the past 10 years. The number of 

operators involved in this engine size group 

has increased each year since 1996. The 

overall increase between 1992 and 2001 

within this engine size category is 95 

percent (from 611 in 1992 to 1,194 in 2001). 

The largest number of operators involved is 

still in the 501-1,000 cc engine size group. 

However, the number of operators involved 

in the 1,001-1,500 cc engine size group is 

fast approaching the 501-1,000 cc levels. 

Operators involved in the 500 cc and less 

engine size group declined by 45 percent 

between 1992 and 2001. Starting in 1996, a 

very small number of operators involved in 

fatal crashes are reported involving 

motorcycles with engine displacements 

greater than 1,500 cc. The data show the 

popularity of riding larger displacement 

motorcycles. 

Table 10 

Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal 

Crashes by Year and Engine Size (cc)

Engine Size (cubic centimeters) Year 

<501 501-1,000 1,001-1,500 >1,500 

1992 431 1,114 611 0 

1993 394 1,128 678 0 

1994 313 1,046 632 0 

1995 316 1,023 680 0 

1996 246 998 668 8 

1997 201 983 736 11 

1998 221 1,054 790 18 

1999 190 983 840 24 

2000 201 1,292 1,125 49 

2001 238 1,423 1,194 52 

Source: NCSA, NHTSA, FARS 1992-2001

Chart 4 

Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal 

Crashes by Year and Engine Size (cc) 

0

300

600

900

1,200

1,500

1992 1994 1996 1998 2000

<500 501-1,000

1,001-1,500 >1,500

Source: NCSA, NHTSA, FARS 1992-2001

9. Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal 

Crashes in 2001 by Engine Size (cc) and 

BAC: Table 11 and Chart 5 show 

motorcycle operators involved in fatal 

crashes in 2001 by engine size (cc) and 

operator BAC. Motorcycle operators on 

1,001-1,500 cc engine size had the highest 

(44 percent) alcohol involvement among all 

engine size groups. Among the alcoholpositive operators on 1,001-1,500 cc engine 
 National Center for Statistics and Analysis 400 Seventh St., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590 7

size motorcycles 82 percent were 

intoxicated with a BAC≥0.08. 

Table 11 

Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal 

Crashes in 2001 by Engine Size and BAC

Alcohol Involvement 

0.00 0.01-0.07 0.08+ Engine 

Size (cc) 

No. % No. % No. % 

< 500 170 71 12 5 56 23 

501-

1,000 988 69 112 8 323 23 

1,001-

1,500 665 56 96 8 433 36 

> 1,500 36 69 2 4 14 27 

Unknown 195 58 26 8 116 34 

Total 2,054 63 249 8 942 29 

Source: NCSA, NHTSA, FARS 2001

Chart 5 

Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal 

Crashes in 2001 by Engine Size (cc) and BAC 

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

<501 501-1,000 1,001-1,500 >1,500

BAC 0.00 BAC 0.01-0.07 BAC 0.08+

Source: NCSA, NHTSA, FARS 2001

10. Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal 

Crashes by Year and Time of Day: Table 

12 and Chart 6 show the number and percent 

of motorcycle operators involved in fatal 

crashes by year and time of day (day/night) 

from 1992 to 2001. NHTSA defines 

daytime crashes as those that occur between 

6:00 AM and 5:59 PM and nighttime 

crashes between 6:00 PM and 5:59 AM. 

The data show that there has been a 

noticeable shift in the number and 

proportion of operators involved in fatal 

crashes during the daytime between 1992 

and 2001 (41 percent vs. 49 percent). These 

data suggest that there are more motorcycles 

being used during the daytime than in the 

past or that daytime use is becoming more 

dangerous to motorcyclists due to the 

widespread availability of daytime running 

lamps on passenger vehicles. 

Table 12 

Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal 

Crashes by Year and Time of Day

Time of Day 

Year Night Day Unknown 

No. % No. % No. % 

1992 1,411 58 996 41 28 1 

1993 1,363 55 1,084 44 24 1 

1994 1,265 54 1,045 45 20 1 

1995 1,242 55 983 43 37 2 

1996 1,171 54 983 45 21 1 

1997 1,169 54 969 45 21 1 

1998 1,207 52 1,089 47 37 2 

1999 1,305 52 1,204 48 19 1 

2000 1,541 52 1,406 47 24 1 

2001 1,622 50 1,600 49 23 1 

Source: NCSA, NHTSA, FARS 1992-2001

Chart 6 

Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal 

Crashes by Year and Time of Day 

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

1992 1994 1996 1998 2000

Night Day Unknown

Source: NCSA, NHTSA, FARS 1992-2001
 National Center for Statistics and Analysis 400 Seventh St., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590 8

11. Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal 

Crashes in 2001 by Time of Day and 

BAC: Table 13 and Chart 7 show 

motorcycle operators involved in fatal 

crashes in 2001 by time of day (day/night) 

and operator BAC. Motorcycle operators 

during nighttime crashes were almost three 

times more likely to be alcohol-positive than 

daytime crashes (54 percent vs. 19 percent).

 

Table 13 

Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal 

Crashes in 2001 by Time of Day and BAC

Alcohol Involvement 

0.00 0.01-0.07 0.08+ 

Time of 

Day No. % No. % No. % 

Night 752 46 165 10 705 43 

Day 1,296 81 83 5 221 14 

Unknown 5 23 1 6 17 72 

Total 2,054 63 249 8 942 29 

Source: NCSA, NHTSA, FARS 2001

Chart 7 

Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal 

Crashes in 2001 by Time of Day and BAC 

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Night Day

BAC 0.00 BAC 0.01-0.07 BAC 0.08+

Source: NCSA, NHTSA, FARS 2001

12. Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal 

Crashes in 2001 by Time of Day (3-hours) 

and BAC: Table 14 and Chart 8 show 

motorcycle operators involved in fatal 

crashes in 2001 by time of day and operator 

BAC. The highest number of operators 

involved during any 3-hour period was 

between 3 PM and 6 PM. The highest 

alcohol involvement during any 3-hour 

period of the day was between midnight and 

3 AM (74 percent). The next highest 

alcohol involvement was between 3 AM and 

6 AM. In fact, more than half of the 

operators were alcohol-positive between 6 

PM and 6 AM. This shows that alcohol 

involvement is a continuing problem, 

especially during nighttime crashes.

 

Table 14 

Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal 

Crashes in 2001 by Time of Day and BAC

Alcohol Involvement 

0.00 0.01-0.07 0.08+

Time of 

Day No. % No. % No. % 

0-3 94 26 44 12 217 61 

3-6 43 41 5 5 56 54 

6-9 105 82 4 3 20 16 

9-12 232 89 8 3 21 8 

12-15 420 85 29 6 47 9 

15-18 540 75 43 6 133 19 

18-21 390 57 65 10 225 33 

21-24 226 47 51 11 17 72 

Unknown 5 23 1 6 17 72 

Total 2,054 63 249 8 942 29 

Source: NCSA, NHTSA, FARS 2001 

Chart 8 

Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal 

Crashes in 2001 by Time of Day and BAC 

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

0-3 3-6 6-9 9-12 12-

15

15-

18

18-

21

21-

24

BAC 0.00 BAC 0.01-0.07 BAC 0.08+

Source: NCSA, NHTSA, FARS 2001
 National Center for Statistics and Analysis 400 Seventh St., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590 9

13. Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal 

Crashes in 2001 by Weekday/Weekend 

and BAC: Table 15 and Chart 9 show 

motorcycle operators involved in fatal 

crashes in 2001 by time of day and day of 

the week (weekday/weekend) and operator 

BAC. NHTSA defines a weekday as 

between 6:00 AM Monday through 5:59 PM 

Friday and a weekend as from 6:00 PM 

Friday through 5:59 AM Monday. The 

alcohol involvement during weekends is 

higher by about 10 percentage points, 

compared to weekdays.

Table 15 

Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal 

Crashes in 2001 by Weekday/Weekend and 

BAC

Alcohol Involvement 

0.00 0.01-0.07 0.08+ Weekday/ 

Weekend 

No. % No. % No. % 

Weekday 1,061 69 107 7 367 24 

Weekend 990 58 141 8 568 33 

Unknown 3 28 1 11 7 61 

Total 2,054 63 249 8 942 29 

Source: NCSA, NHTSA, FARS 2001 

Chart 9 

Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal 

Crashes in 2001 by Weekday/Weekend and 

BAC Level 

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Weekday Weekend

BAC 0.00 BAC 0.01-0.07 BAC 0.08+

Source: NCSA, NHTSA, FARS 2001

14. Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal 

Crashes in 2001 by Day of the Week and 

BAC: Table 16 and Chart 10 show 

motorcycle operators involved in fatal 

crashes in 2001 by day of the week and 

operator BAC. The highest number of 

operators involved was on Sunday followed 

by Saturday. Alcohol involvement on 

Saturdays was the highest among all days of 

the week with 45 percent of operators 

involved with alcohol followed by Friday, 

with 40 percent of the operators involved 

with alcohol. 

Table 16 

Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal Crashes 

in 2001 by Day of the Week and BAC

Alcohol Involvement 

0.00 0.01-0.07 0.08+ Day of the 

Week 

No. % No. % No. % 

Sunday 476 65 58 8 204 28 

Monday 225 67 24 7 89 26 

Tuesday 224 71 22 7 72 23 

Wednesday 203 65 24 8 84 27 

Thursday 246 67 29 8 91 25 

Friday 277 60 38 8 144 31 

Saturday 402 56 55 8 259 36 

Total* 2,054 63 249 8 942 29 

Source: NCSA, NHTSA, FARS 2001 

*Includes unknowns.

Chart 10 

Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal 

Crashes in 2001 by Day of the Week and 

BAC Level 

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

BAC 0.00 BAC 0.01-0.07 BAC 0.08+

Source: NCSA, NHTSA, FARS 2001
 National Center for Statistics and Analysis 400 Seventh St., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590 10

15. Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal 

Crashes in 2001 by Month and BAC: 

Table 17 shows motorcycle operators 

involved in fatal crashes in 2001 by month 

and operator BAC. The proportion of 

alcohol involvement does not show any 

significant differences. The month of July 

had the highest number of operators 

involved in fatal crashes. However, 

February month had the highest alcohol 

involvement among all months (42 percent).

Table 17 

Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal 

Crashes in 2001 by Month and BAC

Alcohol Involvement 

Month 0.00 0.01-0.07 0.08+

No. % No. % No. % 

January 48 66 3 4 22 30 

February 56 58 10 11 30 31 

March 101 65 10 7 45 29 

April 193 63 23 7 93 30 

May 233 65 28 8 97 27 

June 252 63 37 9 112 28 

July 271 62 40 9 129 29 

August 256 60 36 9 132 31 

September 251 65 21 5 112 29 

October 175 65 18 7 76 28 

November 127 64 13 6 58 29 

December 92 66 11 8 37 26 

Total 2,054 63 249 8 942 29 

Source: NCSA, NHTSA, FARS 2001 

16. Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal 

Crashes in 2001 by Helmet Use and BAC: 

Table 18 and Chart 11 show motorcycle 

operators involved in fatal crashes in 2001 

by helmet use and operator BAC. The 

operators that did not wear a helmet were 

more likely to be alcohol-positive than were 

operators who were wearing a helmet (46 

percent vs. 29 percent). 

Table 18 

Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal Crashes 

in 2001 by Helmet Use and BAC

Alcohol Involvement 

0.00 0.01-0.07 0.08+

Helmet 

Use 

No. % No. % No. % 

Not Used 805 54 134 9 551 37 

Used 1,169 71 107 7 362 22 

Unknown 80 68 8 7 29 25 

Total 2,054 63 249 8 942 29 

Source: NCSA, NHTSA, FARS 2001 

Chart 11 

Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal 

Crashes in 2001 by Helmet Use and BAC 

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Not Used Used

BAC 0.00 BAC 0.01-0.07 BAC 0.08+

Source: NCSA, NHTSA, FARS 2001

17. Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal 

Crashes in 2001 by License Status and 

BAC: Table 19 and Chart 12 show 

motorcycle operators involved in fatal 

crashes in 2001 by license status and 

operator BAC. NHTSA defines properly 

licensed as a valid driver license with a 

motorcycle endorsement, a motorcycle only 

license, learner’s permit, and a temporary 

license or no license required for operating a 

motorcycle type vehicle such as a moped. 

The operators improperly licensed were 

more likely to be alcohol-positive than were 

operators properly licensed (44 percent vs. 

34 percent). 
 National Center for Statistics and Analysis 400 Seventh St., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590 11

Table 19 

Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal Crashes 

in 2001 by License Status and BAC

Alcohol Involvement 

0.00 0.01-0.07 0.08+

License 

Status 

No. % No. % No. % 

Properly 

Licensed 1,538 66 175 7 621 27 

Improperly 

Licensed 490 56 73 8 313 36 

Unknown 26 73 1 4 9 24 

Total 2,054 63 249 8 942 29 

Source: NCSA, NHTSA, FARS 2001 

Chart 12 

Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal 

Crashes in 2001 by License Status and BAC 

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Properly Licensed Improperly Licensed

BAC 0.00 BAC 0.01-0.07 BAC 0.08+

Source: NCSA, NHTSA, FARS 2001

18. Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal 

Crashes in 2001 by Speeding and BAC: 

Table 20 and Chart 13 show motorcycle 

operators involved in fatal crashes in 2001 

by speeding and operator BAC. The 

operators speeding at the time of the crash 

were more likely to be alcohol involved than 

operators not speeding (41 percent vs. 34 

percent). 

Table 20 

Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal Crashes 

in 2001 by Speeding and BAC

Alcohol Involvement 

Speeding 0.00 0.01-0.07 0.08+

No. % No. % No. % 

Speeding 731 59 88 7 431 34 

Not 

Speeding 1,323 66 161 8 512 26 

Total 2,054 63 249 8 942 29 

Source: NCSA, NHTSA, FARS 2001 

Chart 13 

Motorcycle Operators Involved in Fatal 

Crashes in 2001 by Speeding and BAC 

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Speeding Not Speeding

BAC 0.00 BAC 0.01-0.07 BAC 0.08+

Source: NCSA, NHTSA, FARS 2001

Conclusions 

Motorcycle operators involved in fatal crashes 

increased for the fourth year in a row after 

reaching an historic low in 1997 since FARS 

starting collecting data in 1975. The 

conclusions in this research note are based on 

motorcycle operators involved in fatal crashes 

by operator BAC. 

 Almost 90 percent of persons involved in 

fatal crashes are motorcycle operators. 

 An overhelming majority of the motorcycle 

operators involved in fatal crashes are male 

(97 percent). 
 Alcohol involvement in fatal crashes among 

motorcycle operators as a longer-term trend 

has shown a slow but steady improvement 

from 49 percent in 1992 to 37 percent in 

2001. However, still over one-third of 

operators were alcohol-positive in fatal 

crashes in 2001, with a majority of them 

intoxicated (BAC≥0.08).

 In 2001, among all motorcycle operator age 

groups 40-49 year old age group had the 

highest percentage of alcohol involvement 

(46 percent).

 In 2001, alcohol involvement among 

motorcycle operators in single vehicle 

crashes was almost twice the involvement 

than in multiple vehicle crashes (49 percent 

vs. 27 percent).

 Motorcycle operators riding on 1,001-1,500 

cc engine size motorcycles had the highest 

alcohol involvement in fatal crashes (44 

percent) among all engine size groups.

 Alcohol involvement in nighttime crashes 

was almost three times the involvement than 

that of daytime crashes (54 percent vs. 19 

percent).

 Three-fourths of operators involved in fatal 

crashes between midnight and 3 AM were 

alcohol-positive.

 Motorcycle operators not wearing a helmet 

or who were improperly licensed or 

speeding at the time of a fatal crash were 

more likely to be alcohol-positive than other 

operators.

For additional copies of this research note, please call 1-800-934-8517 or fax your request to (202) 366-3189. For 

questions regarding the data reported in this research, contact Umesh G. Shankar [202-366-5558]. This research 

note and other general information on highway traffic safety may be accessed by internet users at: http://wwwnrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/departments/nrd-30/ncsa/AvailInf.html

U.S. Department 

of Transportation

National Highway 

Traffic Safety 

Administration 

400 Seventh Street, S.W., NPO-121 

Washington, D.C. 20590