Are motorcycles dangerous? It depends; dangerous compared to what? Context is everything, are you talking about riding a motorcycle recreationally or is the motorcycle a transportation tool in the hands of an experienced moto-commuter? People inherently compare motorcycles to cars because they share the same space, however, very few motorcyclists purchase a bike for utilitarian reasons. Moreover, it’s evident that road architecture and traffic laws apply to motorcycles, yet motorcycles are seldom taken into consideration. Motorcycles get a bad rep, because people see them among the cars, and the carnage that can ensue. This perspective is a bit one-dimensional.

Let’s reframe the question. Is playing baseball dangerous? Perhaps. Taking a line drive to the face is particularly dangerous, but rare. Most parents don’t think much about their kid playing baseball or soccer, maybe even contact football. However, would Americans feel the same way about these recreational sports if I suggested these games be played in the street?

The most recent motorcycle statistics available from the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) is from 2022. The last time I covered this topic, that information dated back to 2013. It appears the data has marginally shifted in some areas and looks even more interesting now on the other side of the 2020-2021 motorcycle sales boom. 

Here are some 2022 NHTSA data highlights:

• 42,514 Americans were killed on U.S. roadways in all vehicle types.
  • 27,344 of those people were automobile or truck drivers and passengers.
  • 5,934 were motorcyclists.
  • 284 were motorcycle passengers.
    
• 60% of motorcyclists killed were wearing a helmet.
• 46% of motorcycle fatalities occurred during the weekend (6PM Fri – 6AM Mon)
• 66% of motorcycle fatalities occurred in urban areas; 34% on rural roads.
• 36% of motorcycle fatalities occurred at roadway intersections.
• Only 8% of motorcycle fatalities occurred on interstate highways.
• 97% of fatalities occurred in clear/cloudy, non-adverse weather conditions.
• 58% of motorcycle fatalities occurred during daylight hours.
• 24% of motorcycles involved in fatal traffic crashes collided with fixed objects.
• 58% of fatal motorcycle crashes were collisions with another motor vehicle.
  • In two-vehicle crashes, 77% of motorcyclists killed were struck in the front; 6% were struck in the rear.
  • In 44% of the 2-vehicle fatal crashes, the other vehicle was turning left while the motorcycles were going straight, passing, or overtaking other vehicles.
• 35% of motorcyclists killed were riding without a valid motorcycle license.
• 29% of motorcyclists killed had a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of  0.08 grams/deciliter or higher.
  • 42% of motorcycle riders who died in single-vehicle crashes in 2022 were alcohol-impaired (0.01+ BAC).
  • 42% of all riders killed at night were found to be alcohol-impaired.
• Investigating Police officers claimed that speed was a contributing factor for 35% of fatal crashes, concluding that motorcyclists were racing, driving too fast for conditions, exceeding the posted speed limit.

Stay Sharp

If you take a rider training course, a good instructor will be sure to mention that motorcycling is a perishable skill. It’s funny when you think about it, you spend hours studying for your automobile drivers test, days practicing your driving skills with an instructor with your drivers permit, and more hours practicing parking. However, once you’ve taken the test, you’re unlikely to practice any of those skills ever again in a lifetime unless you’re a racer, or make bad decisions and lose your license. In a lifetime, automobile accidents have become more survivable with technology. That may or may not have any impact on American’s propensity to practice driving skills, but it unlikely helps reinforce the importance of keeping skills sharp.

35% of motorcyclists killed in 2022 didn’t have a valid motorcycle endorsement, and 42% of fatal accidents didn’t involve another vehicle, merely the solo motorcyclists (and possibly a passenger). Motorcycles unquestionably lack safety features that make accidents more survivable, yet ironically motorcyclists are equally unlikely to practice rider skills, maneuverability, and emergency braking techniques. Despite the fact their life depends on it. 

Booze cruise

From what I gather, the average motorcyclist rides two to three thousand miles annually. Inversely, the Americans drive their cars roughly 14,000 miles a year. Why is that? The short answer is, motorcycles are for fun; folks like to wait for sunny and 70 weekends to ride. Considering that nearly half of all motorcycle fatalities occur on weekends and only 3% occur in bad weather, my back of the napkin math says the average bike gets out of the garage maybe 20 to 40 days a year. 

If I believe what my eyes are telling me, most of these riders are commuting from the driveway to a restaurant and back home; two thirds of all fatalities coincidentally occur in the city. Considering nearly a third of all fatal motorcycle accidents involved an impaired rider, drinking and riding seems to be prominent in the culture. I’ve said it elsewhere, Motorcycles are pontoon boats with wheels. The catch is, drunk boaters have a lot more uninhabited water to play in than the urban motorcyclists riding among the caged commuters. Most people would think twice before having a few drinks and walking down the middle of the road to get home. Why is that logic not applied when operating a motorcycle, a machine that falls over without the help of a human?

Unintentionality

After heart disease (700k+) and cancer (600k+), accidents are the leading cause of death in the U.S. Over 225,000 Americans die annually from unintentional accidents; of those, 42,000 are from motor vehicle crashes, including motorcycles. On a “Per mile traveled” metric, Motorcycles garner a lot of attention considering around 6,000 motorcyclists die annually. However, for as long as I’ve been watching these statistics, pedestrians tend to die on American roadways in higher numbers than motorcyclists; 7,522 in 2022. “Per mile traveled” is never applied to pedestrians, but is applied to motorcycles because they are seen as transportation, both in statistics and in terms of the law. However, it’s quite evident to anyone who’s ridden one, motorcycles are vastly more difficult to operate than modern automobiles. All four appendages are still required to operate most modern motorcycles. Per my previous comments, there are virtually no safety features on a motorcycle designed to protect the rider from sudden catastrophic deceleration. Moreover, roadways are not designed for motorcycles in most areas. Most lanes are designed to accommodate trucks, curves are marked with safety warning appropriate for passenger cars, steel plates, rumble strips, red light sensors, and other construction and safety warnings are used prolifically however do not function the same for motorcycles and are often extremely hazardous to riders. Motorcycles don’t behave like cars, civil engineers don’t design infrastructure for motorcycles, and it’s evident, motorcyclists behave differently on a bike than in a car. Building a case that motorcycles are dangerous on a foundation comparing cars is a bit of a straw man fallacy. Yes, motorcycles and cars share the same space, but the context of the two machines are dramatically different. 

Also buried in annual accident statistics is that over 44,000 Americans die from falls, while another 102,000 die from accidental poisoning. Considering the latter, you’re 16 times more likely to poison yourself than you are to die on a motorcycle. People consciously make the choice to drive rather than ride, under the pretense that “it’s safer in a car”. Of course, there’s protection inside the vehicle to prevent you from being killed by other vehicles. Ironically, it’s taken for granted that virtually any activity, bicycling, running, horseback riding, or play frisbee are all dangerous when conducted on a busy street, and yet because motorcycles get special permission to do so, they’re seen in a very different light. While “donor-cycles” is a popular pejorative, Americans turn a blind eye to dramatically more dangerous activities that we mundanely engage in daily. Taking over 4,000 mg of Tylenol in 24 hours can cause liver failure; and yet you don’t need a permit or prescription for that. Would it make more sense that engaging in activities with fewer safety measures be viewed from a perspective distinct to their risks?

Motorcycles are not dangerous, motorcycles are unforgiving. Motorcycles can be deadly to the inattentive, careless, or reckless. American vehicles have become larger, the drivers more insulated, and the motorcyclists population remains less than 3% of the roadway traffic. In a world where roadways had a larger concentration of smaller vehicles, preferably more motorcycles, some of these risks could be reduced (think of southeast Asian scooter traffic), unfortunately, that seems like a pipedream. “Playing” in traffic is always dangerous. So is operating firearms, table saws, or heavy machinery. Surviving on a motorcycle means understanding the very clear dangers, and adopting appropriate countermeasures, just like all life-threatening endeavors. 

Assuming you’re not drinking, not speeding, practice advanced rider skills, emergency techniques, invest significant “saddle time”, and understand the danger areas (highlighted in the stats), are motorcycles still dangerous? Compared to what?