Motorcycle Accident Statistics

These figures are for calendar year 2023, the most recent full year in the federal fact sheet, and all come from the NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts: Motorcycles, 2023 data, published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in July 2025.

The 2023 numbers

How risk compares with driving

Per mile traveled, the fatality rate for motorcyclists in 2023 was almost 28 times the rate for passenger car occupants: 31.39 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles against 1.13. NHTSA repeated the figure in its May 2025 safety release, which also noted that deaths rose 1.3% from 2022.

How fatal crashes happen

A collision with another moving vehicle was the most harmful event for 60% of the motorcycles in fatal crashes. There were 3,419 fatal two-vehicle crashes involving a motorcycle. In 46% of them the other vehicle was turning left while the motorcycle was going straight, passing or overtaking. In 21% both vehicles were going straight. In two-vehicle crashes, 79% of motorcycles were struck in the front and 6% in the rear.

Alcohol, speed and licensing

Of the 6,025 riders killed, 1,584, or 26%, had a blood alcohol concentration of .08 g/dL or higher. Thirty-six percent of riders in fatal crashes were speeding, and 34% were riding without a valid motorcycle license.

Helmets

Thirty-five percent of motorcyclists killed were not wearing a helmet, based on known use. The unhelmeted share was 51% in states without a universal helmet law and 10% in states with one. Observed use of DOT-compliant helmets was 73.8% nationally: 82.7% in states that require helmets for all riders and 65.9% elsewhere. See helmet laws by state.

Age

The average age of riders killed was 41. Riders aged 65 and older accounted for 625 deaths, riders aged 21 to 24 for 611, and riders aged 15 to 20 for 505.

Ten years of deaths and injuries

Deaths rose from 4,594 in 2014 to 6,335 in 2023, an increase of about 38%. Estimated injuries moved within a narrower band and were lower in 2023 than in 2014. From 2022 onward the federal count of motorcyclists excludes people on motorized bicycles, so the last two rows are not exactly comparable with earlier years.

Exposure: registrations and miles

Motorcycles made up 3.1% of all registered vehicles in the United States in 2023 and accounted for 0.6% of all vehicle miles traveled, yet motorcyclists were 15% of traffic deaths. Measured per 100,000 registered vehicles, the fatality rate was 66.57 for motorcycles and 11.61 for passenger cars. The injury rate per 100,000 registered vehicles was similar for the two, 868 against 905. Per mile traveled the gap is wide for both: 409 injuries per 100 million miles for motorcyclists against 88 for passenger car occupants.

When fatal crashes happen

Forty-seven percent of motorcyclists killed in 2023 died during the weekend, which the fact sheet defines as 6 p.m. Friday to 5:59 a.m. Monday: 2,958 deaths, against 3,371 on weekdays. By light condition, 56% died in daylight, 39% in the dark, 4% at dusk and 1% at dawn. By weather, 97% died in clear or cloudy conditions, 2% in rain and 1% in snow, sleet, fog or other conditions. Percentages are based on known values.

Fixed objects

Twenty-four percent of motorcycles in fatal crashes in 2023 hit a fixed object, compared with 16% of passenger cars, 12% of light trucks and 4% of large trucks.

Engine size

The fact sheet groups deaths by engine displacement. It notes that other characteristics also affect power and speed, and that NHTSA has not determined whether displacement itself causes higher risk.

Single-vehicle crashes and alcohol

Of the 2,171 riders who died in single-vehicle crashes in 2023, 41% were alcohol-impaired, meaning a blood alcohol concentration of .08 g/dL or higher. Among the 3,854 riders who died in multi-vehicle crashes the share was 18%.

Prior driving records

The federal crash database records convictions and suspensions in the five years before a fatal crash. Riders in fatal crashes were 1.3 times as likely as passenger car drivers to have a prior suspension or revocation. Thirty-four percent of riders in fatal crashes had no valid motorcycle license, against 15% of passenger vehicle drivers without a valid license.

Motorcycles, cars and light trucks compared

The same fact sheet gives 2023 rates for light trucks, a group that includes pickups, vans and sport utility vehicles: 6.81 deaths per 100,000 registered vehicles and 0.66 per 100 million miles. Set beside 66.57 and 31.39 for motorcycles, that is roughly a tenfold gap by registration and a far wider one by distance. The comparison says nothing about skill. It reflects how little protection a motorcycle gives its rider in a collision, and it is the reason injuries in motorcycle claims tend to be more serious than in car claims arising from similar impacts.

Are motorcycle deaths rising?

Over the decade, yes. The count rose in seven of the nine year-to-year steps between 2014 and 2023 and reached its highest point in the series in 2023. The rate per mile is less steady, because the estimate of miles ridden moves from year to year: it fell to 26.30 in 2022 and returned to 31.39 in 2023.

How the terms are defined

In the fact sheet, a motorcycle includes two- and three-wheeled motorcycles, off-road motorcycles, mopeds, motor scooters, minibikes and pocket bikes. A rider is the person operating the motorcycle, a passenger is seated on it but not operating it, and motorcyclist covers both. Injury totals are estimates from a sample of police-reported crashes, while deaths are a full count.

What these numbers do and do not tell you

National totals describe risk across millions of riders. They say nothing about who caused a particular crash, and an insurer cannot use them to assign fault to you. What matters in a claim is the evidence from your crash: see the evidence checklist.

For state or county figures, use NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System.