Ohio had the 12th highest number of motorcycle deaths in the nation in 2013 (the most recent year for which statistics are available), with 124 motorcycle riders killed. According to the study conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the deadliest state for motorcyclists was Florida, with 467 riders killed. The safest state was Vermont, with five deaths.
How does your state rank?
| Motorcycle Rider Fatalities by State (2013) | |||||||
| State | Total Motorcycle Riders Killed | Motorcycle Riders Killed by Their BAC | |||||
| BAC=.08+ | BAC=.01+ | ||||||
| 1 | Florida | 467 | 29% | 34% | |||
| 2 | Texas | 457 | 37% | 45% | |||
| 3 | California | 435 | 24% | 31% | |||
| 4 | North Carolina | 184 | 27% | 32% | |||
| 5 | Pennsylvania | 173 | 24% | 33% | |||
| 6 | New York | 161 | 22% | 30% | |||
| 7 | Arizona | 143 | 20% | 26% | |||
| 8 | South Carolina | 139 | 34% | 41% | |||
| 9 | Illinois | 136 | 29% | 39% | |||
| 10 | Tennessee | 132 | 20% | 26% | |||
| 11 | Michigan | 129 | 27% | 33% | |||
| 12 | Ohio | 124 | 27% | 34% | |||
| 13 | Georgia | 113 | 27% | 30% | |||
| 14 | Indiana | 100 | 25% | 34% | |||
| 15 | Louisiana | 85 | 25% | 28% | |||
| 16 | Oklahoma | 84 | 25% | 35% | |||
| 17 | Kentucky | 81 | 29% | 35% | |||
| 18 | Wisconsin | 81 | 31% | 40% | |||
| 19 | Colorado | 80 | 17% | 31% | |||
| 20 | Alabama | 76 | 29% | 37% | |||
| 21 | Virginia | 73 | 28% | 36% | |||
| 22 | Missouri | 71 | 30% | 35% | |||
| 23 | Washington | 69 | 31% | 36% | |||
| 24 | Maryland | 56 | 27% | 37% | |||
| 25 | Arkansas | 55 | 27% | 36% | |||
| 26 | Nevada | 55 | 31% | 35% | |||
| 27 | New Jersey | 55 | 24% | 33% | |||
| 28 | Minnesota | 54 | 29% | 33% | |||
| 29 | Connecticut | 52 | 26% | 33% | |||
| 30 | Massachusetts | 39 | 44% | 51% | |||
| 31 | New Mexico | 38 | 41% | 46% | |||
| 32 | Kansas | 35 | 32% | 37% | |||
| 33 | Mississippi | 34 | 43% | 46% | |||
| 34 | Oregon | 33 | 22% | 31% | |||
| 35 | Iowa | 32 | 35% | 45% | |||
| 36 | Montana | 30 | 35% | 38% | |||
| 37 | Hawaii | 29 | 41% | 50% | |||
| 38 | Utah | 29 | 11% | 13% | |||
| 39 | New Hampshire | 24 | 34% | 42% | |||
| 40 | West Virginia | 24 | 44% | 53% | |||
| 41 | Idaho | 23 | 17% | 23% | |||
| 42 | South Dakota | 20 | 27% | 37% | |||
| 43 | Delaware | 17 | 26% | 34% | |||
| 44 | Nebraska | 14 | 22% | 23% | |||
| 45 | Maine | 13 | 28% | 39% | |||
| 46 | Rhode Island | 11 | 47% | 47% | |||
| 47 | Alaska | 9 | 14% | 17% | |||
| 48 | North Dakota | 9 | 22% | 22% | |||
| 49 | Wyoming | 8 | 14% | 14% | |||
| 50 | Vermont | 5 | 0% | 20% | |||
| 51 | District of Columbia | 3 | 33% | 33% | |||
| U.S. Total | 4,399 | 28% | 35% | ||||
| Puerto Rico | 40 | 41% | 47% | ||||
Alcohol contributes to many motorcycle crashes
The study revealed, more than any other type of vehicle, motorcyclists had the highest percentage of alcohol-impaired drivers during fatal crashes. Forty percent of the motorcyclists who died in single-vehicle crashes were alcohol-impaired. That rate was almost four times higher at night than during the day.
Motorcyclists crash more often
Key findings of the report indicate that per vehicle mile traveled, motorcyclist fatalities occurred 26 times more than passenger car fatalities in traffic crashes. The study also revealed that motorcycles are more frequently involved in fatal collisions with fixed objects than other vehicles. In 2013, 22 percent of the motorcycles involved in fatal crashes collided with fixed objects, compared to 18 percent for passenger cars, 14 percent for light trucks, and 4 percent for large trucks.
Data from the study also shows that 34 percent of all motorcyclists involved in fatal crashes were speeding. Rates were much lower for compared passenger car drivers (21%), light-truck drivers (18%) and large truck drivers (8%). The most startling fact of all was that twenty-five percent of motorcycle riders involved in fatal crashes in 2013 were riding their vehicles without a valid motorcycle license—and no insurance.
Source:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 2015. Traffic safety facts, 2013: Motorcycles. Report no. DOT HS-812-148. Washington, DC: US Department of Transportation.