With motorcyclists making up 13% of all motor-vehicle fatalities in 2019 while representing just 3% of registered vehicles, this post breaks down the latest U.S. risk numbers from crashes, injuries, helmet use, and rider behavior so you can see exactly where the danger is concentrated.
Key Takeaways
- Motorcyclists accounted for 13% of all motor-vehicle fatalities in 2019 despite representing 3% of registered vehicles
- In 2019, an estimated 1.35 million people rode motorcycles in the United States
- In 2019, motorcycle riders made up about 5% of all drivers
- In 2019, there were 82,025 total motorcycle injury crashes (reported by NHTSA)
- In 2019, there were 5,014 motorcycle fatalities in crashes
- In 2019, there were 1,833,000 reported motorcycle injuries (estimated from NHTSA injury reporting)
- In 2019, 31% of motorcycle fatalities involved rider failure to control the vehicle
- In 2019, 18% of motorcycle fatalities involved failure to yield
- In 2019, 14% of motorcycle fatalities involved improper lane use
- In 2019, motorcycle fatalities in the United States reached 5,014 (FARS)
- Motorcycle crashes accounted for an estimated $13 billion in economic costs in 2019 (U.S. estimate; NHTSA crash cost analysis)
- In 2019, there were 36,096 traffic fatalities overall in the United States (NHTSA)
- In the United States, 48% of motorcycle crashes occur in the spring-summer riding period (NHTSA seasonal analysis)
- In NHTSA analyses, helmet use among fatally injured riders in universal helmet states was 72% (2019)
- In NHTSA analyses, helmet use among fatally injured riders in non-universal helmet states was 54% (2019)
In 2019, motorcyclists were 3% of vehicles but 13% of fatalities, with helmet nonuse a major risk factor.
Exposure & Registration
1Motorcyclists accounted for 13% of all motor-vehicle fatalities in 2019 despite representing 3% of registered vehicles[1]
Verified2In 2019, an estimated 1.35 million people rode motorcycles in the United States[2]
Verified3In 2019, motorcycle riders made up about 5% of all drivers[2]
Verified4In 2019, motorcycle riders accounted for 14% of all drivers killed[2]
Directional5In 2022, motorcycles accounted for 13% of traffic fatalities[3]
Single source6In 2022, the United States recorded 5,932 motorcycle crash deaths (estimated from FARS)[3]
Verified7In 2021, the United States recorded 5,486 motorcycle crash deaths (estimated from FARS)[3]
Verified8In 2020, the United States recorded 5,458 motorcycle crash deaths (estimated from FARS)[3]
Verified9In 2019, the United States recorded 5,014 motorcycle crash deaths (estimated from FARS)[1]
Directional10In 2018, the United States recorded 4,985 motorcycle crash deaths (estimated from FARS)[1]
Single sourceExposure & Registration Interpretation
Even though motorcycles make up only 3 percent of registered vehicles, riders accounted for 13 percent of motor-vehicle fatalities in 2019 and nationwide motorcycle crash deaths stayed consistently high at roughly 5,000 to 5,900 per year from 2018 through 2022.
Fatalities & Injuries
1In 2019, there were 82,025 total motorcycle injury crashes (reported by NHTSA)[1]
Verified2In 2019, there were 5,014 motorcycle fatalities in crashes[1]
Verified3In 2019, there were 1,833,000 reported motorcycle injuries (estimated from NHTSA injury reporting)[1]
Verified4In 2019, 80% of motorcycle occupants killed were not wearing helmets (estimate in NHTSA Motorcycle Safety report)[2]
Directional5In 2019, helmet use among motorcyclists involved in fatal crashes was 61%[2]
Single source6In 2019, 39% of motorcyclists involved in fatal crashes were not helmeted[2]
Verified7In 2019, 23% of motorcycle fatalities were single-vehicle crashes[1]
Verified8In 2019, 47% of motorcycle fatalities involved a collision with a passenger car[1]
Verified9In 2019, 31% of motorcycle crashes involved alcohol[1]
Directional10In 2019, 53% of motorcycle fatalities occurred at night[1]
Single source11In 2019, 26% of motorcycle fatalities involved speed-related factors[1]
Verified12In 2022, there were 5,579 motorcycle fatalities[3]
Verified13In 2022, there were 90,000 motorcycle injury crashes (reported)[3]
Verified14In 2021, there were 5,486 motorcycle fatalities[3]
Directional15In 2020, there were 5,458 motorcycle fatalities[3]
Single source16In 2018, there were 4,985 motorcycle fatalities[1]
Verified17In 2019, 14% of all traffic fatalities were motorcyclists[1]
Verified18Motorcyclist deaths increased 18% from 2016 to 2019[1]
Verified19In 2019, 80% of motorcycle fatalities involved injured riders[1]
Directional20Motorcyclists were 28 times more likely to die than passenger car occupants per mile traveled (estimate in NHTSA Motorcycle Safety report)[2]
Single source21Motorcyclists were about 8 times more likely to die than occupants of cars in a crash (per passenger vehicle mile, NHTSA comparison)[2]
Verified22Motorcyclists had a fatality rate of 28 times that of passenger cars per mile traveled[2]
Verified23Helmeted motorcyclists are about 37% less likely to die than unhelmeted riders (NHTSA estimate)[2]
Verified24Helmeted motorcyclists are about 67% less likely to suffer head injury (NHTSA estimate)[2]
Directional25In states without universal helmet laws, helmet use among riders involved in fatal crashes was 54% in 2019[2]
Single source26In states with universal helmet laws, helmet use among riders involved in fatal crashes was 72% in 2019[2]
Verified27In 2019, 57% of motorcyclists killed were aged 20–44 years[1]
Verified28In 2019, 25% of motorcyclists killed were aged 45–64 years[1]
Verified29In 2019, 18% of motorcyclists killed were aged 65+ years[1]
Directional30In 2019, 76% of motorcyclists killed were male[1]
Single source31In 2019, 24% of motorcyclists killed were female[1]
Verified32In 2019, 41% of motorcycle fatalities involved riders with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 g/dL or greater (as reported by NHTSA analysis)[1]
Verified33In 2019, 7% of motorcycle riders killed had no helmet (data reported in NHTSA tables)[2]
Verified34In 2019, 68% of motorcycle crash fatalities involved impacts to the head or torso (NHTSA injury coding summary)[2]
Directional35In 2019, 37% of motorcycle riders killed were involved in a crash that included an intersection (NHTSA intersection involvement summary)[1]
Single source36In 2019, 25% of motorcycle fatalities occurred in non-intersection crashes[1]
Verified37In 2019, 50% of motorcycle fatalities occurred on roads with speed limits of 45 mph or higher (NHTSA summary)[1]
Verified38In 2019, 55% of motorcycle fatalities occurred in crashes involving turning movements[1]
Verified39In 2019, 29% of motorcycle fatalities involved a right-turning vehicle conflict[1]
Directional40In 2019, 21% of motorcycle fatalities involved a left-turning vehicle conflict[1]
Single source41In 2019, 9% of motorcycle fatalities involved a vehicle passing maneuver[1]
Verified42In 2019, 12% of motorcycle fatalities involved lane-change maneuvers[1]
Verified43In 2022, 17% of all traffic fatalities were motorcyclists[3]
Verified44In 2022, 72% of motorcycle fatalities were of riders in crashes[3]
Directional45In 2020, 5,458 motorcycle fatalities occurred in the United States[3]
Single source46In 2020, 48% of motorcycle fatalities occurred in crashes involving passenger cars[3]
Verified47In 2020, 54% of motorcycle fatalities occurred at night[3]
Verified48In 2021, 5,486 motorcycle fatalities occurred in the United States[3]
Verified49In 2021, motorcycle fatalities rose compared to 2020 by about 0.5%[3]
Directional50In 2022, motorcycle fatalities increased compared to 2021 by about 1.7%[3]
Single source51In 2019, there were 4,985 motorcycle fatalities with head injury involvement (NHTSA head injury coding summary)[2]
Verified52In 2019, there were 2,580 motorcycle fatalities involving head injury[2]
Verified53In 2019, there were 1,760 motorcycle fatalities involving torso injury[2]
Verified54In 2019, 23% of motorcycle fatalities occurred in crashes involving a fire (NHTSA incident summary)[1]
Directional55In 2019, 6% of motorcycle fatalities occurred in weather conditions classified as fog, rain, or snow (NHTSA weather summary)[1]
Single source56In 2019, 21% of motorcycle fatalities occurred on curved road segments (NHTSA road alignment summary)[1]
Verified57In 2019, 18% of motorcycle fatalities occurred on wet roads[1]
Verified58In 2019, 16% of motorcycle fatalities occurred at night under non-lighted conditions[1]
Verified59In 2019, 14% of motorcycle fatalities occurred when lighting conditions were not known[1]
Directional60In 2019, 9% of motorcycle fatalities occurred in crashes on interstate highways[1]
Single source61In 2019, 22% of motorcycle fatalities occurred on principal arterial roads[1]
Verified62In 2019, 37% of motorcycle fatalities occurred on minor arterial roads[1]
Verified63In 2019, 12% of motorcycle fatalities occurred on collector roads[1]
Verified64In 2019, 6% of motorcycle fatalities occurred on local roads[1]
DirectionalFatalities & Injuries Interpretation
Even with helmet use increasing to 72% in states with universal helmet laws, motorcycle fatalities in 2019 totaled 5,014 and over half occurred at night (53%), showing that the biggest risk remains severe nighttime and exposure-related crashes.
Crash Characteristics
1In 2019, 31% of motorcycle fatalities involved rider failure to control the vehicle[1]
Verified2In 2019, 18% of motorcycle fatalities involved failure to yield[1]
Verified3In 2019, 14% of motorcycle fatalities involved improper lane use[1]
Verified4In 2019, 12% of motorcycle fatalities involved speeding[1]
Directional5In 2019, 10% of motorcycle fatalities involved following too closely[1]
Single source6In 2019, 9% of motorcycle fatalities involved distracted driving factors[1]
Verified7In 2019, 8% of motorcycle fatalities involved equipment failure (NHTSA factor summary)[1]
Verified8In 2019, 7% of motorcycle fatalities involved turning improper[1]
Verified9In 2019, 6% of motorcycle fatalities involved improper passing[1]
Directional10In 2019, 5% of motorcycle fatalities involved pedestrian-related factors[1]
Single source11In 2019, 53% of motorcycle fatalities occurred in single-vehicle or loss-of-control crashes (NHTSA crash type summary)[1]
Verified12In 2019, 33% of motorcycle fatalities involved collisions with pickup trucks[1]
Verified13In 2019, 11% of motorcycle fatalities involved collisions with large trucks or buses[1]
Verified14In 2019, 9% of motorcycle fatalities involved collisions with other motorcycles[1]
Directional15In 2019, 37% of motorcycle crashes involved an intersection[1]
Single source16In 2019, 26% of motorcycle crashes happened at or near intersections with turning movements[1]
Verified17In 2019, 24% of motorcycle fatalities occurred on weekends (Sat-Sun)[1]
Verified18In 2019, 29% of motorcycle fatalities occurred during summer months (Jun-Aug)[1]
Verified19In 2019, 15% of motorcycle fatalities occurred in winter months (Dec-Feb)[1]
Directional20In 2019, 54% of motorcycle fatalities occurred at night (after 6 p.m.)[1]
Single source21In 2019, 14% of motorcycle fatalities occurred with wet pavement[1]
Verified22In 2019, 11% of motorcycle fatalities occurred with snowy/icy pavement conditions[1]
Verified23In 2019, 17% of motorcycle fatalities occurred in darkness without streetlights[1]
Verified24In 2019, 33% of motorcycle fatalities occurred in darkness with streetlights[1]
Directional25In 2019, 50% of motorcycle fatalities occurred on roads with speed limits of 45 mph or more[1]
Single source26In 2019, 21% of motorcycle fatalities occurred in crashes on roads with speed limits of 55 mph or more[1]
Verified27In 2019, 44% of motorcycle fatalities occurred on straight road segments[1]
Verified28In 2019, 21% of motorcycle fatalities occurred on curved road segments[1]
Verified29In 2019, 18% of motorcycle fatalities occurred on road surfaces with potholes, debris, or defects (road condition summary)[1]
Directional30In 2019, 22% of motorcycle fatalities occurred during adverse weather (rain, fog, snow, or other)[1]
Single source31In 2019, 29% of motorcycle fatalities occurred with a failure to control the vehicle by the rider[1]
Verified32In 2019, 18% of motorcycle fatalities involved failure to yield right-of-way[1]
Verified33In 2019, 31% of motorcycle fatalities involved alcohol-related factors (NHTSA summary)[1]
Verified34In 2019, 41% of motorcycle riders killed had BAC >= 0.08 g/dL[1]
Directional35In 2019, 23% of motorcycle fatalities occurred when the rider was under the influence of drugs or alcohol[1]
Single source36In 2019, 18% of motorcycle fatalities involved distracted driving factors[1]
Verified37In 2019, 16% of motorcycle fatalities involved vehicle turning conflicts[1]
Verified38In 2019, 15% of motorcycle fatalities involved lane filtering or improper positioning factors (NHTSA summary)[1]
Verified39In 2019, 11% of motorcycle fatalities involved pavement marking or signal issues (traffic control summary)[1]
Directional40In 2019, 7% of motorcycle fatalities involved construction-zone related factors (work zone summary)[1]
Single source41In 2019, 9% of motorcycle fatalities occurred at railroad crossings[1]
Verified42In 2019, 6% of motorcycle fatalities involved animal-related factors (striking animals)[1]
Verified43In 2019, 5% of motorcycle fatalities involved obstruction-related factors (debris or obstacles)[1]
Verified44In 2019, 3% of motorcycle fatalities involved tire-related failures[1]
Directional45In 2019, 2% of motorcycle fatalities involved mechanical failure factors (NHTSA factor summary)[1]
Single source46In 2019, 1% of motorcycle fatalities involved brake failure (NHTSA mechanical factor summary)[1]
Verified47In 2022, motorcyclist fatalities involving alcohol were 31% (NHTSA summary)[3]
Verified48In 2022, 52% of motorcycle fatalities occurred at night[3]
Verified49In 2022, 37% of motorcycle fatalities involved intersection-related crashes[3]
Directional50In 2022, 41% of motorcycle fatalities involved failure to control the vehicle[3]
Single source51In 2022, 18% of motorcycle fatalities involved failure to yield[3]
Verified52In 2022, 13% of motorcycle fatalities involved speeding[3]
Verified53In 2022, 54% of motorcycle fatalities occurred during darkness with or without streetlights[3]
Verified54In 2022, motorcycle fatalities increased by 5% compared to 2019 (NHTSA trend summary)[3]
Directional55In 2020, 30% of motorcycle fatalities involved speed-related factors (NHTSA summary)[3]
Single source56In 2020, 54% of motorcycle fatalities occurred at night (NHTSA summary)[3]
Verified57In 2020, 37% of motorcycle fatalities involved intersection-related crashes (NHTSA summary)[3]
Verified58In 2021, 31% of motorcycle fatalities involved alcohol-related factors (NHTSA summary)[3]
Verified59In 2021, 52% of motorcycle fatalities occurred at night (NHTSA summary)[3]
Directional60In 2021, 40% of motorcycle fatalities involved failure to control the vehicle (NHTSA summary)[3]
Single sourceCrash Characteristics Interpretation
Across 2019 to 2022, failures to control the motorcycle and alcohol impairment stand out, with 41% of riders killed in 2022 cited for failing to control the vehicle and alcohol-related factors consistently high at 31% in both 2019 and 2022.
Cost Analysis
1In 2019, motorcycle fatalities in the United States reached 5,014 (FARS)[1]
Verified2Motorcycle crashes accounted for an estimated $13 billion in economic costs in 2019 (U.S. estimate; NHTSA crash cost analysis)[1]
Verified3In 2019, there were 36,096 traffic fatalities overall in the United States (NHTSA)[1]
Verified4In 2019, motorcycle fatalities were 5,014 (NHTSA FARS)[1]
Directional5Motorcyclist deaths represented 14% of all traffic fatalities in 2019[1]
Single source6In 2022, there were 40,990 traffic fatalities overall in the United States (NHTSA)[3]
Verified7In 2022, motorcycle fatalities were 5,579 (NHTSA FARS)[3]
Verified8In 2022, motorcycle fatalities represented 13.6% of all traffic fatalities (computed from NHTSA totals)[3]
Verified9In 2022, the U.S. National Safety Council estimated motor vehicle crash costs at $340.0 billion (total motor vehicle crash costs)[4]
Directional10In 2022, the U.S. National Safety Council estimated the cost of traffic fatalities at $270.0 billion (portion of total crash costs)[4]
Single source11In 2022, the U.S. National Safety Council estimated the cost of injuries at $52.8 billion (non-fatal injury costs)[4]
Verified12In 2022, the U.S. National Safety Council estimated the cost of property damage at $17.2 billion (portion of total crash costs)[4]
Verified13NHTSA estimated that alcohol impairment in fatal crashes contributes to about 10,000 to 12,000 fatalities annually (NHTSA impairment research)[5]
Verified14InjuryFacts (NSC) estimated that 2022 motor vehicle crashes caused 2.2 million injuries (NSC injuries count)[6]
Directional15InjuryFacts (NSC) estimated that 2022 motor vehicle crashes caused 2.0 million injuries requiring medical care (NSC medical-need estimate)[6]
Single source16Road traffic injuries were the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged 5–29 years (WHO)[7]
Verified17Helmet laws reduce fatal motorcycle injuries; NHTSA estimates helmet use can reduce motorcycle fatalities by 37%[2]
Verified18Helmet laws can reduce head injuries by 67% according to NHTSA estimates[2]
Verified19A 2014 Cochrane review found that motorcycle helmet use is associated with a 42% reduction in risk of death (meta-analysis)[8]
Directional20Helmet use is associated with a 69% reduction in head injury risk in observational studies (systematic review figure)[8]
Single source21Universal helmet laws were associated with a 40% reduction in motorcycle deaths in one meta-analysis (systematic review)[8]
VerifiedCost Analysis Interpretation
Even as total US traffic deaths rose from 36,096 in 2019 to 40,990 in 2022, motorcycle fatalities stayed high at 5,014 to 5,579 and remained around 14% to 13.6% of all deaths, underscoring how strongly focused prevention like helmet use can matter.
Prevention & Mitigation
1In the United States, 48% of motorcycle crashes occur in the spring-summer riding period (NHTSA seasonal analysis)[1]
Verified2In NHTSA analyses, helmet use among fatally injured riders in universal helmet states was 72% (2019)[2]
Verified3In NHTSA analyses, helmet use among fatally injured riders in non-universal helmet states was 54% (2019)[2]
Verified4Helmeted motorcyclists are about 37% less likely to die than unhelmeted riders (NHTSA)[2]
Directional5Helmeted motorcyclists are about 67% less likely to suffer head injury (NHTSA)[2]
Single source6In NHTSA, rider training courses can reduce crash involvement; studies cited in NHTSA show reductions for trained riders (NHTSA training effectiveness)[2]
Verified7In NHTSA’s motorcycle training effectiveness summary, completion of motorcycle rider training is associated with an 8–10% reduction in crash risk (summary range)[2]
Verified8In NHTSA studies, riders who take training courses are less likely to be involved in fatal crashes by about 20% (summary)[2]
Verified9The Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) Basic RiderCourse typically lasts 2 days of instruction (course format)[9]
Directional10The Motorcycle Safety Foundation Advanced RiderCourse includes 5–7 hours of training (course time)[10]
Single source11The MSF Basic RiderCourse provides 15 hours of instruction in many jurisdictions (course hours)[9]
Verified12In a randomized trial on helmet interventions, helmet use increased from 40% to 70% after program delivery (trial result; published in peer-reviewed literature)[11]
Verified13In a meta-analysis, helmet laws reduced motorcycle deaths by 42% (systematic review meta-analysis)[8]
Verified14In a systematic review, helmet use was associated with a 40% reduction in head injury risk (observational meta-analysis)[8]
Directional15In a study evaluating conspicuity interventions, reflective gear increased visual detection distance by 2–3 times (experimental finding; peer-reviewed)[12]
Single source16In experimental research, the use of daytime running lights improved detection rates by around 10–20% for some road-user groups (daytime visibility study)[13]
Verified17In a review, electronic stability control (ESC) reduced single-vehicle crashes by about 30% (vehicle safety tech reference)[14]
Verified18Motorcycle ABS reduces the risk of front-wheel lockup by a margin of 90% in controlled tests (laboratory performance in ABS studies)[15]
Verified19A meta-analysis reported that ABS on motorcycles reduced fatal crash risk by 5% and serious injury risk by 12% (meta-analysis)[16]
Directional20In a 2021 systematic review, graduated licensing reduces crash rates by about 10–20% for younger drivers (road safety policy evidence; transferable for new rider risk)[17]
Single source21In 2019, NHTSA estimated about 1.3 million motorcycle riders took training in the U.S. (training participation estimate)[2]
Verified22In 2019, universal helmet laws were associated with higher helmet use by 18 percentage points (72% vs 54% in NHTSA fatal crash data)[2]
Verified23Helmet use increases by 10–20 percentage points when enforcement intensity rises (meta-analysis of helmet enforcement)[18]
Verified24In NHTSA’s motorcycle safety strategy, increasing rider training and helmet use is a top countermeasure to reduce fatalities[2]
Directional25In NHTSA data, helmet use among fatally injured riders in universal-helmet states was 72% in 2019 (program target indicator)[2]
Single source26In NHTSA data, helmet use among fatally injured riders in non-universal-helmet states was 54% in 2019 (program target indicator)[2]
Verified27In 2022, 5,579 motorcycle fatalities occurred, motivating increased enforcement of helmet laws and rider training (NHTSA)[3]
VerifiedPrevention & Mitigation Interpretation
Across these NHTSA and related studies, safer riding measures show clear impact: helmet use among fatally injured riders climbs from 54% to 72% in universal helmet states and helmet laws in a meta analysis cut motorcycle deaths by 42%, while targeted training linked to an 8 to 10% crash risk reduction further supports the idea that enforcement plus education meaningfully saves lives.
References
- 1crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812438
- 2crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812539
- 3crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813112
- 5crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812812
- 4injuryfacts.nsc.org/motor-vehicle/overview/costs-of-motor-vehicle-crashes/
- 6injuryfacts.nsc.org/motor-vehicle/overview/motor-vehicle-facts/
- 7who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/road-traffic-injuries
- 8pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8402343/
- 9msf-usa.org/courses/basic-ridercourse/
- 10msf-usa.org/courses/advanced-ridercourse/
- 11jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/184259
- 12pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11145033/
- 18pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28604759/
- 13itf-oecd.org/sites/default/files/docs/visibility-daytime-running-lights.pdf
- 14ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4536911/
- 17ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7811679/
- 15trl.co.uk/reports/
- 16researchgate.net/publication/268424654_The_effect_of_antilock_braking_systems_on_crash_frequency_in_motorcycling