If you’re a motorcycle aficionado, you likely know that May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. It’s a nationwide initiative of the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) designed to help make motorcycle riding safer for both bikers and those sharing America’s roadways with them.
Statistics show that in 2014 motorcycle accidents resulted in 4,586 deaths and more than 92,000 injuries. And according to research by the NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis, three states are particularly dangerous for motorcyclists. Check out the 10 states with the highest numbers of motorcycle crash fatalities in 2012:
- Florida 456
- Texas 428
- California 415
- Pennsylvania 200
- North Carolina 190
- New York 160
- Ohio 146
- Illinois 141
- South Carolina 137
- Indiana 136
Notice that figures for Florida, Texas and California are more than double the number in the next highest-ranked state, Pennsylvania.
Top contributing factors in motorcycle fatalities are speed, alcohol use and not wearing a helmet. In 2012, 34 percent of all motorcycle riders involved in fatal crashes were speeding. Per vehicle mile traveled that year, motorcyclists were 26 times more likely than those driving or riding in passenger cars to die in crashes. They also were five times more likely to be injured. Of the 4,625 motorcycle riders killed in crashes the same year, 29 percent were alcohol-impaired. State-by-state, the figures for alcohol-involved motorcycle fatalities varied significantly, ranging from three percent in Utah to 63 percent in Rhode Island. And in 2014, 39 percent of motorcycle riders killed were not wearing a helmet, despite the fact that helmets are about 37 percent effective in preventing motorcycle deaths and 67 percent effective in preventing brain injuries.
If you take to the roadways on a motorcycle, be careful, not just in May but all year round. And keep your bike in top working order with the right set of E3 motorcycle Spark Plugs.
