Kansas City Townsend Law Firm

2015 motorcycle accident data sounds the alarm

On Behalf of | Jun 15, 2017 | Motorcycle Accident

Motorcycle accident data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for 2015 reveals a startling uptick in the number of fatalities year over year. In 2014, there were 4,594 deaths in motorcycle accidents. But that figure skyrocketed in 2015, up to 4,976 deaths. That marks an 8.3 percent increase in motorcycle accident fatalities.

Peculiarly, the number of injuries in motorcycle accidents went down year over year, as roughly 92,000 people suffered injuries in motorcycle accidents in 2014, but just about 88,000 people suffered injuries in motorcycle accidents in 2015. That is a 4.3 percent decline in the number of injuries in motorcycle accidents.

The data continues: a motorcyclist in 2015 was roughly 29 times more likely to die in a crash than an occupant in a car (per mile traveled). Motorcyclists also composed 14 percent of all traffic fatalities in the U.S. and there were roughly 8.6 million motorcycles out on the road that year.

There is a lot of information to glean from this data, but the overarching theme of it all is this: motorcyclists are a significant portion of the vehicle population out on U.S. roads, and they also make up a significant portion of the fatalities out on the road. As such, it is important for drivers of all vehicles to make sure they are looking out for motorcyclists and operating their vehicle in a safe and proper manner. Otherwise, unfortunate accidents can, and likely will, occur.

Source: Insurance Information Institute, “Motorcycle Crashes,” Accessed June 13, 2017