According to the NHTSA, there were 5,014 motorcyclists killed in 2019, which accounted for 14 percent of traffic fatalities. Florida, California, and Texas once again topped the list for states with the most motorcycle fatalities in 2019.
Courtesy of the NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis, the table below breaks down motorcycle deaths by state.
State | 2019 | 2018 |
Alabama | 90 | 80 |
Alaska | 4 | 9 |
Arizona | 169 | 142 |
Arkansas | 58 | 58 |
California | 451 | 472 |
Colorado | 93 | 99 |
Connecticut | 43 | 48 |
Delaware | 15 | 16 |
District of Columbia | 3 | 8 |
Florida | 559 | 547 |
Georgia | 164 | 148 |
Hawaii | 20 | 32 |
Idaho | 24 | 35 |
Illinois | 131 | 106 |
Indiana | 120 | 101 |
Iowa | 38 | 39 |
Kansas | 36 | 57 |
Kentucky | 83 | 86 |
Louisiana | 85 | 75 |
Maine | 25 | 21 |
Maryland | 71 | 58 |
Massachusetts | 44 | 58 |
Michigan | 126 | 129 |
Minnesota | 41 | 57 |
Mississippi | 37 | 39 |
Missouri | 120 | 101 |
Montana | 22 | 21 |
Nebraska | 24 | 22 |
Nevada | 55 | 57 |
New Hampshire | 27 | 27 |
New Jersey | 79 | 51 |
New Mexico | 49 | 43 |
New York | 129 | 141 |
North Carolina | 203 | 181 |
North Dakota | 9 | 14 |
Ohio | 148 | 124 |
Oklahoma | 66 | 85 |
Oregon | 53 | 73 |
Pennsylvania | 166 | 153 |
Rhode Island | 11 | 18 |
South Carolina | 140 | 130 |
South Dakota | 14 | 15 |
Tennessee | 147 | 157 |
Texas | 400 | 396 |
Utah | 34 | 44 |
Vermont | 7 | 6 |
Virginia | 93 | 98 |
Washington | 89 | 76 |
West Virginia | 27 | 36 |
Wisconsin | 79 | 72 |
Wyoming | 12 | 14 |
U.S. Total | 4733 | 4675 |
Puerto Rico | 34 | 39 |
Key Takeaways from 2019 Data
- Per vehicle miles traveled in 2019, motorcyclist fatalities occurred nearly 29 times more frequently than passenger car occupant fatalities in traffic crashes.
- Thirty percent of motorcycle riders involved in fatal crashes in 2019 were riding without valid motorcycle licenses.
- In 2019 motorcycle riders involved in fatal crashes had higher percentages of alcohol impairment than drivers of any other motor vehicle type (29% for motorcycles, 20% for passenger cars, 19% for light trucks, and 2% for large trucks).
- Forty-two percent of motorcycle riders who died in single-vehicle crashes in 2019 were alcohol-impaired.
- Motorcycle riders killed in traffic crashes at night were almost three times more frequently alcohol-impaired than those killed during the day in 2019.
- In States without universal helmet laws, 57 percent of motorcyclists killed in 2019 were not wearing helmets, as compared to 9 percent in States with universal helmet laws.
For more information, view the 2019 Motorcycle Traffic Safety Facts PDF from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
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Sources:
- https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813112
- https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812979
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