List of motorcycle deaths in U.S. by year
Encyclopedia
| Year | Deaths |
|---|---|
| 1994 | 2,320 |
| 1995 | 2,227 |
| 1996 | 2,161 |
| 1997 | 2,116 |
| 1998 | 2,294 |
| 1999 | 2,483 |
| 2000 | 2,897 |
| 2001 | 3,197† |
| 2002 | 3,244 |
| 2003 | 3,661‡ |
| 2004 | 4,028 |
| 2005 | 4,576 |
| 2006 | 4,837 |
| 2007 | 5,174 |
| 2008 | 5,312 |
| 2009 | 4,462 |
| 2010 | 3,615 |
| † some NHTSA National Highway Traffic Safety Administration The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is an agency of the Executive Branch of the U.S. government, part of the Department of Transportation... lists show 3,181 ‡ some NHTSA lists show 3,714 |
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This is a list of motorcycle deaths in U.S. by year from 1994 to 2010. United States motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
fatalities increased every year for 11 years since reaching a historic low of 2,116 fatalities in 1997, until a decline in 2009. In nine years, motorcycle deaths have more than doubled.
Since 1980, motorcycle ownership among riders aged 40 and over has increased dramatically, from 15.1 percent of all riders in 1980 to 43.7 percent in 1998. The mean engine displacement of the motorcycles involved in fatal crashes has also increased, from an average engine size of 769 cc in 1990, to 959 cc in 2001, an increase of 24.7 percent. This combination of older riders on higher-powered motorcycles is partially responsible for a steady increase in motorcycle deaths from the late 1990s until 2004.
Half of motorcycle fatalities in single vehicle crashes relate to problems negotiating a curve prior to a crash—almost 60 percent of motorcyclist fatalities in single vehicle crashes occur at night.
In 2009, motorcycle fatalities in the US declined for the first time in 11 years. The yearly total dropped from 5,312 to 4,462. Automobile fatalities continued to decline for the seventh straight year. A decline in recreational motorcycling due to the late-2000s recession might account for the decrease in accidents, according to the authors of a report by the Governors Highway Safety Association
Governors highway safety association
GHSA, the Governors Highway Safety Association is a non-profit organization located in Washington, DC. Its members are the state highway safety offices of the 50 states, U.S. territories, and the Indian Nations. These offices administer federal funding for behavioral highway safety programs...
, but a State motorcyclists' rights organization
State motorcyclists' rights organizations
State motorcyclists' rights organizations exist in about 32 US states, 25 of which call themselves "ABATE of ," the rest going by various other names. SMROs advocate for a point of view in motorcycling that is, in general, hostile to mandatory helmet laws, required motorcycle safety inspections,...
, the Motorcycle Riders Foundation, said motorcycle use appears to have increased, influenced by motorcycles' better fuel economy
Fuel economy in automobiles
Fuel usage in automobiles refers to the fuel efficiency relationship between distance traveled by an automobile and the amount of fuel consumed....
.