NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis
Trafc Safety Facts
2020 Data
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE
Washington, DC 20590
May 2022 DOT HS 813 306
In this fact sheet for 2020 the
information is presented as
follows.
• Overview
• Crash Characteristics
• Crash Involvement
• Motorcyclists
■ Age
■ Motorcycle Engine Size
■ Speeding
■ Licensing and Previous
Driving Records
■ Alcohol
• State
• Important Safety Reminders
Motorcycles
e following denitions apply to terms in this fact sheet:
■
For the purposes of this fact sheet, motorcy-
cles include two- and three-wheeled motor-
cycles, o-road motorcycles, mopeds, motor
scooters, mini-bikes, and pocket bikes.
■
e motorcycle rider is the person operat-
ing the motorcycle; the passenger is a person
seated on, but not operating, the motorcycle;
the motorcyclist is a general term referring
to either the rider or passenger.
■
Drivers or motorcycle riders are considered
to be alcohol-impaired when their blood
alcohol concentrations (BACs) are .08 grams
per deciliter (g/dL) or higher.
Key Findings
■
In 2020 there were 5,579 motorcyclists killed,
14 percent of all trac fatalities. is is the
highest number of motorcyclists killed since
FARS started in 1975.
■
e number of motorcyclist fatalities in 2020
increased by 11 percent from 2019, from
5,044 to 5,579.
■
An estimated 82,528 motorcyclists were
injured in 2020, a 2-percent decrease from
83,814 motorcyclists injured in 2019.
■
Per vehicle miles traveled in 2020, motorcy-
clist fatalities occurred nearly 28 times more
frequently than passenger car occupant
fatalities in trac crashes.
■
irty-six percent of motorcycle riders
involved in fatal crashes in 2020 were riding
without valid motorcycle licenses.
■
In 2020 motorcycle riders involved in fatal
crashes had higher percentages of alcohol
impairment than drivers of any other motor
vehicle type (27% for motorcycles, 23% for
passenger cars, 19% for light trucks, and 3%
for large trucks).
■
Forty-one percent of motorcycle riders who
died in single-vehicle crashes in 2020 were
alcohol-impaired.
■
Motorcycle riders killed in trac crashes
at night were three times more frequently
alcohol-impaired than those killed during
the day in 2020.
■
In States without universal helmet laws, 57
percent of motorcyclists killed in 2020 were
not wearing helmets, as compared to 11 per-
cent in States with universal helmet laws.
is fact sheet contains information on fatal motor vehicle trac crashes based on data from
the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and non-fatal motor vehicle trac crashes from
the National Automotive Sampling System (NASS) General Estimates System (GES) and Crash
Report Sampling System (CRSS). A change instituted with the release of 2020 data is rounding
estimates to the nearest whole number instead of the nearest thousand for all police-reported
crashes, including injury estimates. Refer to the end of this publication for more information on
FARS, NASS GES, and CRSS.
2 NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590
TRAFFIC SAFETY FACTS MOTORCYCLES
|
2020 DATA
A motor vehicle trac crash is dened as an incident that involved
one or more motor vehicles in transport that originated on a public
tracway, such as a road or highway. Crashes that occurred on pri-
vate property, including parking lots and driveways, are excluded.
e terms “motor vehicle trac crash” and “trac crash” are used
interchangeably.
Overview
In 2020:
■
ere were 5,579 motorcyclists killed in motor vehicle trac
crashes – higher than the 5,044 motorcyclists killed in 2019.
● is is the highest number of motorcyclists killed since FARS
started in 1975.
■
Two-wheeled motorcycles accounted for 90 percent of all motor-
cycles involved in fatal crashes.
■
Motorcyclists accounted for 14 percent of all trac fatalities and
18 percent of all occupant (driver and passenger) fatalities.
■
Of the 5,579 motorcyclists killed in trac crashes, 94 percent
(5,268) were riders and 6 percent (311) were passengers.
■
ere were an estimated 82,528 motorcyclists injured, a
2- percent decrease from 83,814 motorcyclists injured in 2019.
Table 1 presents information about motorcyclists killed and
injured from 2011 to 2020. From 2011 to 2020 motorcyclist fatali-
ties increased by 20 percent, with the highest number of fatalities in
2020. e number of registered motorcycles and motorcycle vehicle
miles traveled (VMT) are also presented in Table 1, along with the
respective fatality and injury rates.
Table 1
Motorcyclists Killed and Injured, and Fatality and Injury Rates, 2011–2020
Year Killed Registered Vehicles
Fatality Rate per 100,000
Registered Vehicles VMT (millions)
Fatality Rate per
100 Million VMT
2011 4,630 8,437,502 54.87 18,542 24.97
2012 4,986 8,454,939 58.97 21,385 23.32
2013 4,692 8,404,687 55.83 20,366 23.04
2014 4,594 8,417,718 54.58 19,970 23.00
2015 5,029 8,600,936 58.47 19,606 25.65
2016 5,337 8,679,380 61.49 20,445 26.10
2017 5,226 8,664,108 60.32 20,149 25.94
2018 5,038 8,659,741 58.18 20,076 25.09
2019 5,044 8,596,314 58.68 19,688 25.62
2020 5,579 8,317,363 67.08 17,632 31.64
Year Injured Registered Vehicles
Injury Rate per 100,000
Registered Vehicles VMT (millions)
Injury Rate per
100 Million VMT
2011 81,706 8,437,502 968 18,542 441
2012 93,251 8,454,939 1,103 21,385 436
2013 88,760 8,404,687 1,056 20,366 436
2014 91,987 8,417,718 1,093 19,970 461
2015 88,738 8,600,936 1,032 19,606 453
2016
†
104,442 8,679,380 1,203 20,445 511
2017
†
88,592 8,664,108 1,023 20,149 440
2018
†
81,859 8,659,741 945 20,076 408
2019
†
83,814 8,596,314 975 19,688 426
2020
†
82,528 8,317,363 992 17,632 468
Sources: FARS 2011-2019 Final File, 2020 Annual Report File (ARF); NASS GES 2011-2015; CRSS 2016-2020; VMT and Registered Vehicles – Federal Highway
Administration(FHWA)
†
CRSS estimates and NASS GES estimates are not comparable due to different sample designs. Refer to end of document for more information about CRSS.
Motorcycles made up 3 percent of all registered vehicles in the
United States in 2020 and accounted for only 0.6 percent of all
VMT. Per registered vehicle in 2020, the fatality rate for motorcy-
clists (67.08) was 6 times the fatality rate for passenger car occu-
pants (10.79) and 10 times the fatality rate for light-truck occupants
(6.90), as shown in Table 2. e injury rate for motorcyclists (992)
was higher than the injury rate for passenger car occupants (978)
and the injury rate of light-truck occupants (543).
Per VMT in 2020, the fatality rate for motorcyclists (31.64) was
almost 28 times the passenger car occupant fatality rate (1.15) and
nearly 43 times the fatality rate for light-truck occupants (0.74). e
motorcyclist injury rate (468) was 4 times the injury rate of pas-
senger car occupants (105) and 8 times the injury rate of light-truck
occupants (58).
NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590
3
TRAFFIC SAFETY FACTSMOTORCYCLES
|
2020 DATA
Table 2
Occupant* Fatality Rates, by Vehicle Type, 2019 and 2020
Fatality Rate
Vehicle Type
Motorcycles Passenger Cars Light Trucks
Fatality Rate Injury Rate Fatality Rate Injury Rate Fatality Rate Injury Rate
2019
Per 100,000 Registered Vehicles 58.68 975 9.52 1,154 6.83 647
Per 100 Million VMT 25.62 426 0.90 109 0.65 61
2020
Per 100,000 Registered Vehicles 67.08 992 10.79 978 6.90 543
Per 100 Million VMT 31.64 468 1.15 105 0.74 58
Sources: FARS 2019 Final File, 2020 ARF; CRSS 2019–2020; Registered Motorcycles and Motorcycle VMT– FHWA; Registered Passenger Cars and Light Trucks – R. L. Polk & Co.,
a foundation of IHS Markit automotive solutions; Passenger Car and Light-Truck VMT – FHWA, revised by NHTSA
*Includes both riders/drivers and passengers.
Crash Characteristics
1
Denitions for the dierent functional system can be found at www.wa.dot.gov/planning/processes/statewide/related/highway_functional_classications/fcauab.pdf
Figure 1 displays information about the environment surrounding
the motorcyclist fatalities in 2020 including land use, motorcyclist
location, light condition, weather, and functional system.
1
In 2020
(based on known values):
■
61 percent of the motorcycle fatalities occurred in urban areas
compared to 39 percent in rural areas.
■
65 percent occurred at locations that were not intersections com-
pared to 35 percent at intersections.
■
97 percent occurred in clear/cloudy conditions compared to 2
percent in rain conditions and 1 percent in snow/sleet, fog, or
other conditions.
■
57 percent occurred during daylight compared to 37 percent in
the dark, 4 percent during dusk, and 1 percent during dawn.
■
92 percent occurred on non-interstate roads compared to 8
percent on interstates.
Figure 1
Motorcyclist Fatalities in Relation to Land Use, Motorcyclist Location, Weather, Light Condition, and Functional
System, 2020
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
Interstate
8%
24%
22%
14%
4%
28%
Non-Interstate
Principal Arterial
Non-Interstate
Minor Arterial
Non-Interstate
Collector
Non-Interstate
Local
Non-Interstate
Freeway/Expressway
Functional System
1
Percentage of
Motorcyclist Fatalities
Light Condition
Dawn 1%
Dark
37%
Daylight
57%
Dusk 4%
Motorcyclist Location
At Intersection
35%
Not At
Intersection
65%
Clear/Cloudy
97%
Rain 2%
Other 1%
Land Use
Rural
39%
Urban
61%
Weather
Source: FARS 2020 ARF
Notes: Unknowns were removed before calculating percentages. Percentages may not add up to 100 percent due to independent rounding.
4 NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590
TRAFFIC SAFETY FACTS MOTORCYCLES
|
2020 DATA
Crash Involvement
e most harmful event in 2020 for 3,138 (55%) of the 5,715 motor-
cycles involved in fatal crashes was collisions with motor vehicles
in transport.
In two-vehicle crashes, 76 percent of the motorcycles involved in
fatal crashes were struck in the front. Only 7 percent were struck
in the rear.
Motorcycles were more frequently involved in fatal collisions
with xed objects than other vehicle types. Twenty-ve percent of
motorcycles involved in fatal crashes in 2020 collided with xed
objects, compared to 18 percent for passenger cars, 14 percent for
light trucks, and 5 percent for large trucks.
In 2020 there were 2,741 fatal two-vehicle crashes each involving
a motorcycle and another type of vehicle. In 42 percent (1,158) of
these crashes, the other vehicles were turning le while the motor-
cycles were going straight, passing, or overtaking other vehicles.
Both vehicles were going straight in 575 crashes (21%).
Motorcyclists
Age
e 55-and-older age group accounted for 23 percent of motorcy-
clists killed in 2011 and increased to 27 percent in 2020. Over the
10-year period from 2011 to 2020, motorcyclist fatalities among
the 55-and-older age group increased by 37 percent, from 1,087 to
1,486. In 2011, the average age of motorcycle riders killed in trac
crashes was 42, whereas in 2020 the average age was 43.
Weekday is dened as Monday 6 a.m. to Friday 5:59 p.m. and week-
end is dened as Friday 6 p.m. to Monday 5:59 a.m. Table 3 shows
that in 2011 and 2020 roughly half the motorcyclists were killed in
trac crashes during the weekend versus weekday. Additionally,
motorcyclist fatalities on weekdays have increased by 15 percent
from 2,402 in 2011 to 2,765 in 2020.
Based on the weekday and weekend denitions above, there are 108
weekday hours (4.5 days) and 60 weekend hours (2.5 days). ere
are 234 weekdays in a year (52 weeks x 4.5 days) and 130 weekend
days (52 weeks x 2.5 days). ere were 1.8 times as many motorcy-
clist fatalities in trac crashes on weekends (21.6) versus weekdays
(11.8) in 2020, which increased from 1.7 times in 2011 (17.1 versus
10.3). Among the dierent age groups, the 50-to-54 motorcyclists
have the highest rate of motorcyclists killed in trac crashes on
weekends (2.1) and the 25-to-29 motorcyclists on weekdays (1.2)
in 2011. In 2020 the 25-to-29 motorcyclists had the highest rate of
fatalities during the weekend (2.8) and weekday (1.5).
Table 3
Motorcyclist Fatalities, by Age Group and Day of Week, 2011 and 2020
Age Group
2011 2020
Weekday Weekend Total* Weekday Weekend Total*
<15 10 4 14 15 8 23
15-20 121 109 231 125 115 240
21-24 255 195 452 278 228 506
25-29 270 260 531 344 361 706
30-34 209 199 408 335 355 690
35-39 200 218 419 233 257 491
40-44 245 215 461 221 215 437
45-49 234 246 483 224 264 489
50-54 265 277 543 219 284 506
55-59 229 213 442 268 260 529
60-64 186 157 343 202 225 427
65+ 178 124 302 299 231 530
Total* 2,402 2,218 4,630 2,765 2,806 5,579
Source: FARS 2011 Final File, 2020 ARF
Weekday — Monday 6 a.m. to Friday 5:59 p.m. (4.5 days)
Weekend — Friday 6 p.m. to Monday 5:59a.m. (2.5 days)
*Includes unknown age and unknown day of week.
NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590
5
TRAFFIC SAFETY FACTSMOTORCYCLES
|
2020 DATA
Motorcycle Engine Size
Table 4 presents motorcyclist fatalities by the engine size (displace-
ment) of the motorcycles from 2016 to 2020. Of the motorcyclists
killed in trac crashes in 2020, there were 34 percent on motor-
cycles with engine sizes of 501 to 1,000 cubic centimeters (cc), fol-
lowed by 25 percent on motorcycles with engine sizes of 1,501 cc or
higher, 22 percent on motorcycles with engine sizes of 1,001 to 1,500
cc, and 9 percent on motorcycles with engine sizes up to 500cc.
e number of motorcyclist fatalities on motorcycles with engine
sizes up to 500 cc increased by 27 percent (from 388 to 491) dur-
ing this time, while the motorcyclist fatalities on motorcycles with
engine sizes between 501 and 1,000 cc decreased by 2 percent (from
1,927 to 1,883). Motorcyclist fatalities on motorcycles with engine
sizes between 1,001 and 1,500 cc decreased by 9 percent (from 1,368
to 1,247), while the number of motorcyclists killed on motorcycles
with engine sizes 1,501 cc or higher increased by 22 percent (from
1,162 to 1,416).
Table 4
Motorcyclist Fatalities, by Engine Size* (cc), 2016–2020
Year
Engine Size (cc)
TotalUp to 500 501–1,000 1,001–1,500 1,501 & Higher Unknown
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
2016 388 7% 1,927 36% 1,368 26% 1,162 22% 492 9% 5,337 100%
2017 419 8% 1,826 35% 1,322 25% 1,177 23% 482 9% 5,226 100%
2018 425 8% 1,722 34% 1,232 24% 1,210 24% 449 9% 5,038 100%
2019 421 8% 1,700 34% 1,149 23% 1,306 26% 468 9% 5,044 100%
2020 491 9% 1,883 34% 1,247 22% 1,416 25% 542 10% 5,579 100%
Source: FARS 2016–2019 Final File, 2020 ARF
*Based on data from NHTSA's Product Information Catalog and Vehicle Listing (vPIC).
Notes: Other motorcycle characteristics beside engine size (displacement) influence power and speed capability. NHTSA has not determined that there is a causal relationship
between displacement and fatality risk.
Speeding
NHTSA considers a crash to be speeding-related if the driver was
charged with a speeding-related oense or if an investigating police
ocer indicated that racing, driving too fast for conditions, or
exceeding the posted speed limit was a contributing factor in the
crash. irty-four percent of all motorcycle riders involved in fatal
crashes in 2020 were speeding, compared to 22 percent for passen-
ger car drivers, 16 percent for light-truck drivers, and 7 percent for
large-truck drivers. As shown in Table 5, motorcycle riders 25 to 29
years old involved in fatal crashes had the highest speeding involve-
ment at 45 percent.
Table 5
Motorcycle Riders Involved in Fatal Crashes, by Age Group and Speeding Involvement, 2020
Age Group
Speeding Involvement
TotalSpeeding Not Speeding
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
<15 1 8% 11 92% 12 100%
15-20 99 41% 143 59% 242 100%
21-24 222 43% 295 57% 517 100%
25-29 326 45% 399 55% 725 100%
30-34 284 40% 423 60% 707 100%
35-39 220 43% 294 57% 514 100%
40-44 162 36% 283 64% 445 100%
45-49 154 32% 327 68% 481 100%
50-54 140 26% 393 74% 533 100%
55-59 136 25% 407 75% 543 100%
60-64 80 19% 348 81% 428 100%
65+ 93 17% 454 83% 547 100%
Total* 1,921 34% 3,790 66% 5,711 100%
Source: FARS 2020 ARF
*Includes unknown age.
6 NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590
TRAFFIC SAFETY FACTS MOTORCYCLES
|
2020 DATA
Licensing and Previous Driving Records
irty-six percent of motorcycle riders involved in fatal crashes in
2020 were riding without valid motorcycle licenses at the time of
the crashes, while only 17 percent of passenger vehicle (passenger
cars and light trucks) drivers in fatal crashes did not have valid
licenses. A valid motorcycle license includes a rider having a valid
driver license (non-CDL license status) with a motorcycle endorse-
ment or a motorcycle-only license.
As shown in Figure 2, motorcycle riders involved in fatal crashes
had the highest percentages of drivers with previous driving records
as compared to other vehicle drivers. Motorcycle riders involved in
fatal crashes were 1.3 times more likely than passenger car driv-
ers to have previous license suspensions or revocations (20.5% and
15.8%, respectively). Note that FARS records drivers’ previous driv-
ing records that occurred within 5 years from the crash date.
Figure 2
Percentage of Previous 5-Year Driving Records of Drivers Involved in Fatal Crashes, by Vehicle Type, 2020
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
Recorded Crashes
20.5%
17.3%
21.3%
19.7%
23.3%
17.7%
18.8%
18.7%
20.5%
12.6%
7.3%
15.8%
4.8%
3.5%
0.9%
3.6%
DWI Convictions Speeding Convictions Recorded Suspensions
or Revocations
Motorcycles Passenger Cars
Light Trucks Large Trucks
Previous Driving Record
Percentage of Drivers Involved
Source: FARS 2020 ARF
Note: Excludes all drivers with previous records that were unknown.
Alcohol
In 2020 there were 5,268 motorcycle riders killed in trac crashes
compared to 4,341 in 2011. Of the 5,268 in 2020, there were 1,436
(27%) who were alcohol-impaired (BAC of .08 g/dL or higher). In
2011 there were 1,301 (30%) who were alcohol-impaired. ere were
372 (7%) motorcycle riders killed in 2020 who had lower alcohol lev-
els (BACs of .01 to .07 g/dL).
Motorcycle riders involved (killed or survived) in fatal crashes in
2020 had higher percentages of alcohol impairment than any other
type of motor vehicle driver (27% for motorcycle riders, 23% for pas-
senger car drivers, 19% for light-truck drivers, and 3% for large-truck
drivers).
In 2020 the highest percentages of alcohol-impaired motorcycle rider
fatalities were in the 45-to-49 age group (35%) followed by the 35-to-
39 age group (33%), 50-to-54 age group (32%) and 30-to-34 age group
(31%), when compared to other age groups.
Forty-one percent of the 2,158 motorcycle riders who died in single-
vehicle crashes in 2020 were alcohol-impaired as compared to 18
percent of the 3,110 motorcycle riders who died in multiple-vehicle
crashes, as shown in Table 6. Forty-ve percent of those killed in
single-vehicle crashes on weekends in 2020 were alcohol-impaired
compared to 49 percent in 2011.
NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590
7
TRAFFIC SAFETY FACTSMOTORCYCLES
|
2020 DATA
Table 6
Alcohol-Impaired Motorcycle Riders Killed, by Crash Type and Day of Week, 2011 and 2020
Crash Type and
Day of Week
2011 2020
Total Motorcycle
Riders Killed
Alcohol-Impaired
Total Motorcycle
Riders Killed
Alcohol-Impaired
Number Percent Number Percent
Single-Vehicle
Weekday 953 327 34% 957 340 35%
Weekend 1,044 517 49% 1,197 539 45%
Total* 2,007 849 42% 2,158 880 41%
Multiple-Vehicle
Weekday 1,355 205 15% 1,683 231 14%
Weekend 979 247 25% 1,425 324 23%
Total* 2,334 452 19% 3,110 556 18%
Total
Weekday 2,308 531 23% 2,640 571 22%
Weekend 2,023 764 38% 2,622 863 33%
Total* 4,341 1,301 30% 5,268 1,436 27%
Source: FARS 2011 Final File, 2020 ARF
Weekday — Monday 6 a.m. to Friday 5:59 p.m. (4.5 days)
Weekend — Friday 6 p.m. to Monday 5:59a.m. (2.5 days)
*Includes riders involved in fatal crashes when day of week was unknown.
Note: Percentages are computed based on unrounded estimates.
2
National Center for Statistics and Analysis. (2019, December). Lives and costs saved by motorcycle helmets, 2017 (Trac Safety Facts Crash•Stats Report No. DOT HS
812 867). National Highway Trac Safety Administration. Available at https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812867
3
National Center for Statistics and Analysis. (2021, June). Motorcycle helmet use in 2020 – Overall results (Trac Safety Fact Research Note. Report No. DOT HS
813143). National Highway Trac Safety Administration. Available at https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813143
Motorcycle riders killed in trac crashes at night were three times
more frequently found to be alcohol-impaired than those killed
during the day (40% and 14%, respectively).
e reported helmet use rate for alcohol-impaired motorcycle rid-
ers killed in trac crashes was 51 percent as compared to 65 percent
for those with no alcohol (BAC=.00 g/dL).
State
NHTSA estimates that helmets saved the lives of 1,872 motorcy-
clists in 2017. If all motorcyclists had worn helmets, an additional
749 lives could have been saved (latest data available).
2
Helmets are estimated to be 37-percent eective in preventing fatal-
ities to motorcycle riders and 41 percent for motorcycle passengers.
In other words, for every 100 motorcycle riders killed in crashes
while not wearing helmets, 37 of them could have been saved had
all 100 worn helmets.
2
According to results from the National Occupant Protection Use
Survey (NOPUS), the overall rate of DOT-compliant motorcycle
helmet use in the United States was 69.0 percent in 2020. Helmet
use continued to be signicantly higher in States that required all
motorcyclists to be helmeted than in other States.
3
Reported helmet use rates for motorcyclists killed in 2020 were 61
percent for riders and 46 percent for passengers, compared with 62
percent and 47 percent, respectively, in 2019. Figure 3 presents the
percentage of motorcyclists killed who were not helmeted by each
State in 2020, based on known helmet use.
8 NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590
TRAFFIC SAFETY FACTS MOTORCYCLES
|
2020 DATA
Figure 3
Percentage of Known Unhelmeted* Motorcyclists Killed, 2020
62%
(MT)
82%
(ND)
72%
(WI)
80%
(IN)
59%
(KY)
10% (TN)
27%
(MS)
13%
(AL)
75%
(OH)
57% (PA)
7%
(VA)
14%
(NY)
72%
(ME)
54%
(WV)
68%
(IA)
20%
(MO)
51%
(AR)
62%
(ID)
7%
(CA)
4%
(NV)
51%
(AZ)
59%
(WY)
80%
(SD)
18%
(NE)
58%
(KS)
67%
(OK)
3%
(WA)
7%
(OR)
57%
(UT)
54%
(CO)
68%
(IL)
10%
(GA)
67%
(SC)
9% (NC)
51%
(
FL)
50%
(MI)
55%
(NM)
50%
(TX)
23%
(LA)
20% (DE)
16% (MD)
11% (NJ)
48% (CT)
10%
(VT)
70% (NH)
4% (MA)
50% (RI)
65%
(MN)
24% – 58%
> 58%
< 24%
72% (HI)
50%
(AK)
46% (PR)
29% (DC)
Source: FARS 2020 ARF
*Based on known helmet use.
All motorcycle helmets sold in the United States are required to
meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 218, the per-
formance standard that establishes the minimum level of protec-
tion for helmets designed for use by motorcyclists.
In 2020 only 19 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico
required helmet use for all motorcyclists. Missouri is included in
the 19 States even though their helmet law changed in August 2020
to only require helmets for a subset of motorcyclists. Excluding the
District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, the known helmet use per-
centages in fatal crashes ranged from 46 percent (West Virginia) to
97 percent (Washington) for these 19 States.
In 28 States helmet use was required for only a subset of motorcy-
clists (typically, motorcyclists under age 18), and 3 States (Illinois,
Iowa, and New Hampshire) did not require helmet use for motorcy-
clists of any age. e known helmet use percentages in fatal crashes
ranged from 18 percent (North Dakota) to 80 percent (Delaware)
for these 31 States.
e most current information on helmet use laws is available on
the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) website at
www.ghsa.org/state-laws/issues/motorcyclists. In States without
universal helmet laws, 57 percent of motorcyclists killed in 2020
were not wearing helmets, as compared to 11 percent in States
with universal helmet laws. According to NOPUS, in 2020 DOT-
compliant motorcycle helmet use in States requiring all to use hel-
mets was 84.0 percent compared to 54.4 percent in other States.
Table 7 shows that 40 percent of the 5,579 motorcyclists killed nation-
wide in trac crashes were not helmeted, based on known helmet
use. e State-level unhelmeted percentages ranged from a high of
82 percent (North Dakota) to a low of 3 percent (Washington).
Table 8 presents the percentage of motorcycle riders killed who were
alcohol-impaired, by State where the crashes occurred. e percent-
ages ranged from a low of 9 percent (Delaware) to a high of 65 per-
cent (Wyoming), compared to the national average of 27 percent.
NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590
9
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Table 7
Motorcyclist Fatalities, by State and Helmet Use, 2020
State
Helmet Use
Total
Percent Based on
Known Helmet UseHelmeted Unhelmeted Unknown
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Helmeted Unhelmeted
Alabama
68 87% 10 13% 0 0% 78 100% 87% 13%
Alaska
2 50% 2 50% 0 0% 4 100% 50% 50%
Arizona
75 47% 77 48% 9 6% 161 100% 49% 51%
Arkansas
38 48% 39 49% 3 4% 80 100% 49% 51%
California
491 91% 35 6% 13 2% 539 100% 93% 7%
Colorado
63 45% 74 53% 3 2% 140 100% 46% 54%
Connecticut
27 47% 25 43% 6 10% 58 100% 52% 48%
Delaware
12 80% 3 20% 0 0% 15 100% 80% 20%
District of Columbia
5 71% 2 29% 0 0% 7 100% 71% 29%
Florida
288 48% 300 50% 12 2% 600 100% 49% 51%
Georgia
167 87% 18 9% 7 4% 192 100% 90% 10%
Hawaii
5 28% 13 72% 0 0% 18 100% 28% 72%
Idaho
10 37% 16 59% 1 4% 27 100% 38% 62%
Illinois
49 32% 102 67% 2 1% 153 100% 32% 68%
Indiana
28 19% 115 76% 8 5% 151 100% 20% 80%
Iowa
20 31% 43 67% 1 2% 64 100% 32% 68%
Kansas
27 42% 37 57% 1 2% 65 100% 42% 58%
Kentucky
38 41% 54 59% 0 0% 92 100% 41% 59%
Louisiana
51 65% 15 19% 12 15% 78 100% 77% 23%
Maine
8 28% 21 72% 0 0% 29 100% 28% 72%
Maryland
71 84% 14 16% 0 0% 85 100% 84% 16%
Massachusetts
47 90% 2 4% 3 6% 52 100% 96% 4%
Michigan
77 45% 77 45% 16 9% 170 100% 50% 50%
Minnesota
23 35% 42 64% 1 2% 66 100% 35% 65%
Mississippi
41 66% 15 24% 6 10% 62 100% 73% 27%
Missouri*
99 80% 24 20% 0 0% 123 100% 80% 20%
Montana
11 38% 18 62% 0 0% 29 100% 38% 62%
Nebraska
28 82% 6 18% 0 0% 34 100% 82% 18%
Nevada
48 83% 2 3% 8 14% 58 100% 96% 4%
New Hampshire
7 28% 16 64% 2 8% 25 100% 30% 70%
New Jersey
66 85% 8 10% 4 5% 78 100% 89% 11%
New Mexico
20 43% 24 52% 2 4% 46 100% 45% 55%
New York
167 84% 27 14% 6 3% 200 100% 86% 14%
North Carolina
172 90% 18 9% 2 1% 192 100% 91% 9%
North Dakota
3 18% 14 82% 0 0% 17 100% 18% 82%
Ohio
52 25% 156 74% 3 1% 211 100% 25% 75%
Oklahoma
19 30% 39 62% 5 8% 63 100% 33% 67%
Oregon
55 81% 4 6% 9 13% 68 100% 93% 7%
Pennsylvania
91 42% 121 55% 7 3% 219 100% 43% 57%
Rhode Island
6 46% 6 46% 1 8% 13 100% 50% 50%
South Carolina
45 33% 92 67% 0 0% 137 100% 33% 67%
South Dakota
5 19% 20 74% 2 7% 27 100% 20% 80%
Tennessee
135 89% 15 10% 1 1% 151 100% 90% 10%
Texas
234 48% 233 48% 16 3% 483 100% 50% 50%
Utah
19 43% 25 57% 0 0% 44 100% 43% 57%
Vermont
9 90% 1 10% 0 0% 10 100% 90% 10%
Virginia
94 93% 7 7% 0 0% 101 100% 93% 7%
Washington
87 96% 3 3% 1 1% 91 100% 97% 3%
West Virginia
17 45% 20 53% 1 3% 38 100% 46% 54%
Wisconsin
33 28% 83 72% 0 0% 116 100% 28% 72%
Wyoming
7 37% 10 53% 2 11% 19 100% 41% 59%
U.S. Total
3,260 58% 2,143 38% 176 3% 5,579 100% 60% 40%
Puerto Rico
27 54% 23 46% 0 0% 50 100% 54% 46%
Source: FARS 2020 ARF
*Missouri repealed their universal helmet law in August 2020.
Note: Shading indicates requiring helmet use for all motorcyclists.
10 NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590
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Table 8
Motorcycle Rider Fatalities, by State and Their BACs, 2020
State Total Fatalities
Motorcycle Rider Fatalities, by Their BACs
BAC=.01+ g/dL
Alcohol-Impaired
BAC=.08+ g/dL BAC=.15+ g/dL
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Alabama 72 24 33% 20 27% 13 18%
Alaska 4 2 50% 2 50% 0 0%
Arizona 154 40 26% 30 20% 20 13%
Arkansas 76 22 28% 17 22% 6 8%
California 525 157 30% 122 23% 75 14%
Colorado 133 44 33% 38 28% 25 19%
Connecticut 55 23 43% 20 37% 11 20%
Delaware 15 1 9% 1 9% 1 7%
District of Columbia 7 1 14% 1 14% 1 14%
Florida 564 186 33% 146 26% 84 15%
Georgia 182 57 31% 42 23% 28 15%
Hawaii 18 5 28% 3 17% 2 11%
Idaho 26 10 38% 8 29% 4 13%
Illinois 143 55 38% 48 33% 29 20%
Indiana 141 50 35% 38 27% 24 17%
Iowa
57 24 42% 17 30% 10 17%
Kansas 58 13 22% 11 19% 6 10%
Kentucky 86 28 33% 22 25% 13 15%
Louisiana 74 29 39% 23 31% 12 17%
Maine 27 9 34% 8 29% 3 11%
Maryland 81 29 36% 24 30% 16 20%
Massachusetts 49 13 26% 11 22% 4 9%
Michigan 163 48 29% 40 24% 22 14%
Minnesota 60 22 37% 17 29% 15 25%
Mississippi 56 12 22% 10 18% 6 10%
Missouri 116 42 36% 35 31% 22 19%
Montana 26 15 56% 11 42% 4 15%
Nebraska 33 11 33% 8 23% 5 15%
Nevada 56 19 34% 17 30% 12 21%
New Hampshire 21 10 48% 9 43% 5 24%
New Jersey 76 30 39% 23 31% 14 19%
New Mexico 44 17 39% 16 37% 10
24%
New York 188 64 34% 47 25% 28 15%
North Carolina 186 71 38% 55 30% 30 16%
North Dakota 16 7 41% 5 33% 4 25%
Ohio 194 84 43% 68 35% 44 23%
Oklahoma 61 19 31% 17 29% 11 18%
Oregon 65 25 38% 18 28% 11 17%
Pennsylvania 206 72 35% 59 28% 32 16%
Rhode Island 13 7 52% 4 27% 3 25%
South Carolina 126 48 38% 37 29% 23 18%
South Dakota 25 9 37% 6 25% 4 17%
Tennessee 145 41 28% 32 22% 18 12%
Texas 457 173 38% 141 31% 84 18%
Utah 43 10 24% 9 21% 5 13%
Vermont 9 3 34% 3 34% 1 11%
Virginia 97 36 37% 24 25% 19 20%
Washington 85 34 40% 25 29% 15 18%
West Virginia 35 11 32% 7
21% 3 9%
Wisconsin 104 37 36% 32 30% 16 15%
Wyoming 15 11 72% 10 65% 7 43%
U.S. Total 5,268 1,808 34% 1,436 27% 859 16%
Puerto Rico 47 13 28% 10 21% 8 17%
Source: FARS 2020 ARF
Note: Percentages are computed based on unrounded estimates.
NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590
11
TRAFFIC SAFETY FACTSMOTORCYCLES
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2020 DATA
Important Safety Reminders
For Motorcyclists:
■
Wearing a helmet is the single most eective way to protect
yourself from a head injury. Use a motorcycle helmet for
every ride, and ensure your passengers also use a helmet.
■
Make sure your helmet has a valid U.S. Department of
Transportation (DOT) label; the label means the helmet
meets the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards – this is
also known as the FMVSS 218 standard. Novelty helmets
without this label may not meet the same standard and will
not provide the best protection needed in a crash.
■
Check the t of your helmet to ensure optimal protection.
■
Wear protective gear like a sturdy jacket, pants, boots, and
gloves; safety gear provide protection in case of falls or
crashes, and improves comfort during the ride.
■
Make yourself visible by using high-visibility colors and
retro-reective materials to maximize the ability of drivers
to see you.
■
Motorcycle riding requires full attention, skill, and coordi-
nation. Avoid combining riding with drinking alcohol or
using other impairing drugs.
For Drivers:
■
Always be on the look-out for motorcyclists.
■
A motorcycle’s smaller size means it can be hidden in your
vehicle’s blind spot.
■
A motorcycle’s size and narrow prole can make it dicult
to judge its distance and speed. Take extra care when judg-
ing when to turn or merge.
■
Keep a safe distance from the motorcycle in front of you;
motorcyclists can slow their motorcycles by downshiing
instead of using their brakes. is means the brake lights
won’t come on.
■
Remember that motorcyclists sometimes change positions
in their lane to avoid debris on the road.
— NHTSA’s Research and Program Development
12 NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590
TRAFFIC SAFETY FACTS MOTORCYCLES
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2020 DATA
Fatality Analysis Reporting System
FARS contains data on every fatal motor vehicle trac crash
within the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
To be included in FARS, a trac crash must involve a motor
vehicle traveling on a public tracway that results in the death
of a vehicle occupant or a nonoccupant within 30 days of the
crash. e Annual Report File (ARF) is the FARS data le asso-
ciated with the most recent available year, which is subject to
change when it is nalized the following year to the nal ver-
sion known as the Final File. e additional time between the
ARF and the Final File provides the opportunity for submis-
sion of important variable data requiring outside sources, which
may lead to changes in the nal counts. More information on
FARS can be found at www.nhtsa.gov/crash-data-systems/
fatality-analysis-reporting-system.
e updated nal counts for the previous data year will be
reected with the release of the recent year’s ARF. For exam-
ple, along with the release of the 2020 ARF, the 2019 Final File
was released to replace the 2019 ARF. e nal fatality count
in motor vehicle trac crashes for 2019 was 36,355, which was
updated from 36,096 in the 2019 ARF. e number of motor-
cycle fatalities from the 2019 Final File was 5,044, which was
updated from 5,014 from the 2019 ARF.
e 2017 and 2018 Final Files have been amended, but this
amendment did not change the overall number of fatal crashes
or fatalities.
Crash Report Sampling System
NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis (NCSA)
redesig ned the nat ionally representative sa mple of police-repor ted
trac crashes, which estimates the number of police-reported
injury and property-damage-only crashes in the United States.
e new system, called CRSS, replaced the National Automotive
Sampling System (NASS) General Estimates System (GES) in
2016. More information on CRSS can be found at www.nhtsa.
gov/crash-data-systems/crash-report-sampling-system-crss.
In calendar year 2020, NCSA changed the methodology of
estimating people nonfatally injured in motor vehicle trac
crashes. e new approach combines people nonfatally injured
from both FARS and NASS GES/CRSS. is is done by extract-
ing people nonfatally injured in fatal crashes from FARS with
people nonfatally injured in police-reported injury crashes from
NASS GES/CRSS. e old approach extracted people nonfatally
injured from only NASS GES/CRSS, regardless of crash severity.
is change in methodology caused some estimates of people
injured to change for prior years.
NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590
13
TRAFFIC SAFETY FACTSMOTORCYCLES
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2020 DATA
e suggested APA format citation for this document is:
National Center for Statistics and Analysis. (2022, May). Motorcycles:
2020 data (Trac Safety Facts. Report No. DOT HS 813 306).
National Highway Trac Safety Administration.
15595-051222-v2b
For More Information:
Motor vehicle trac crash data are available from the National Center for Statistics and Analysis (NCSA),
NSA-230. NCSA can be contacted at NCSARequests@dot.gov or 800-934-8517. NCSA programs can
be found at www.nhtsa.gov/data. To report a motor vehicle safety-related problem or to inquire about
safety information, contact the Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 or www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/
VehicleComplaint/.
e following data tools and resources can be found at https://cdan.nhtsa.gov/.
■ Fatal Motor Vehicle Crash Data Visualizations
■ Fatality and Injury Reporting System Tool (FIRST)
■ State Trac Safety Information (STSI)
■ Trac Safety Facts Annual Report Tables
■ FARS Data Tables (FARS Encyclopedia)
■ Crash Viewer
■ Product Information Catalog and Vehicle Listing (vPIC)
■ FARS, NASS GES, CRSS, NASS Crashworthiness Data System (CDS), and Crash Investigation
Sampling System (CISS) data can be downloaded for further analysis.
Other fact sheets available from NCSA:
■ Alcohol-Impaired Driving
■ Bicyclists and Other Cyclists
■ Children
■ Large Trucks
■ Occupant Protection in Passenger Vehicles
■ Older Population
■ Passenger Vehicles
■ Pedestrians
■ Rural/Urban Comparison of Trac
Fatalities
■ School-Transportation-Related Crashes
■ Speeding
■ State Alcohol-Impaired-Driving Estimates
■ State Trac Data
■ Summary of Motor Vehicle Crashes
■ Young Drivers
Detailed data on motor vehicle trac crashes are published annually in Trac Safety Facts: A Compilation
of Motor Vehicle Crash Data. e fact sheets and Trac Safety Facts annual report can be found at https://
crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/.