SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — From 2023 to 2025, there was a more than 71% increase in motorcycle fatalities in Utah. Just in the last two weeks, two people under 30 years old have died in motorcycle crashes.
And, according to the Department of Public Safety, nearly 60% of crashes since 2021 have involved riders younger than 35 years old.
Connor Czapla is only 30 but he’s been riding bikes since he was 12, so he understands the importance of safety especially for young, inexperienced riders.
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“I’ve always been on two wheels, but that’s not the case for a lot of new riders,” Czapla said. “Once you’re on the road, you’ve got to learn to be really defensive when you’re driving, be way more cautious, and if you’re not used to that kind of environment, it gets really dangerous.”
2025 was a year to remember for motorcycles in Utah, but not in a good way. There were 72 deaths compared to 53 in 2024 and 42 in 2023.
But that’s not the only other troubling statistic for last year.
More than 75% of riders involved in deadly crashes didn’t have motorcycle license enforcements and less than 10% of them had taken a motorcycle safety course.
The top five factors for a deadly crash in 2025 were failure to yield the right of way, failure to keep in the proper lane, reckless driving, aggressive driving, and disregarding traffic signs or signals.
“Even though motorcycles are a small amount of the population that’s actually on the road, they made up for over a quarter of the fatal crashes on our roads,” said Sgt. Luis Silva with UHP.
It’s a statistic they’re trying to avoid repeating as we enter the spring and summer months.
“Beginning next month, we’ll actually have extra enforcement looking for dangerous motorcycle behavior and we’ll start safety campaigns as well,” Silva said.
DPS said they recently hosted a Motorcycle Stakeholders meeting to come up with ways to increase safety for the coming riding season.
While knowledge is power, Silva said they’re prepared to take it a step further if needed.
“We want our approach to be like a toolbox,” he said. “We don’t need a hammer for every situation, by all means we don’t want to be giving everyone citations and impounding bikes and such, but we will make sure people are getting educated and then following up with enforcement action if needed.”
Utah law says anyone under 21 must wear a helmet and if you’re caught without a motorcycle endorsement, you can be fined a minimum of $350.
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