Overview

Motorcycles are less stable and less visible than cars and often have high performance capabilities. When motorcycles crash, their riders lack the protection of an enclosed vehicle, so they're more likely to be injured or killed. The federal government estimates that per mile traveled in 2017, the number of deaths on motorcycles was nearly 27 times the number in cars.

Because serious head injury is common among fatally injured motorcyclists, helmet use is important. Helmets are about 37 percent effective in preventing motorcycle deaths and about 67 percent effective in preventing brain injuries. Yet only 19 states and the District of Columbia mandate helmet use by all riders.

All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) are not designed for on-highway use, but in recent years 300 or more riders died in crashes on public roads annually.

The following facts are based on analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).

Posted December 2019.