May marks the beginning of riding season for many motorcyclists in America. It is also Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reminds all motorists that motorcyclists’ safety is everyone’s safety. Motorcycle safety is an ongoing responsibility for all road users. By consistently following safe driving and riding practices, all motorists can help reduce the number of motorcyclist fatalities on America’s roads.
Each year motorcyclists are overrepresented in traffic crashes. Two leading contributors to this reality are speed and alcohol impairment. It is important to note that, while in years past, riding was seen as a leisure activity, it is now often a person’s main or only mode of transportation. It is essential that riders and drivers both pay critical attention to their driving habits and to each other while out on the road.
According to NHTSA data, there were 6,218 motorcyclists killed in traffic crashes in 2022, representing 15 percent of total highway fatalities for that year. Speeding was a major contributing factor for motorcyclist fatalities in 2022, accounting for 35 percent of all motorcyclist fatalities. More than half (51 percent) of those fatalities were motorcyclists 21 to 24 years old. Alcohol impairment also played a significant role in motorcycle-involved crash fatalities; 42 percent of motorcycle riders who died in single-vehicle crashes in 2022 were alcohol-impaired. In Arkansas, an average of 76 Arkansans are killed each year on motorcycles totaling 760 from 2013-2022.
