Because of the lack of a vehicle’s structure to protect motorcyclists in a crash, it is very likely a motorcyclist will be seriously injured in a wreck. In 2012, only 3 percent of all registered vehicles in the United States were motorcycles, but motorcyclists accounted for 15 percent of all traffic fatalities, 18 percent of all occupant (driver and passenger) fatalities, and 4 percent of all occupants injured, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The approximately 8.45 million registered motorcycles in the U.S. accounted for only 0.7 percent of all vehicle miles traveled in one recent year, NHTSA says. But, per vehicle mile traveled, motorcyclists were more than 26 times likely than passenger car occupants to die in a crash and five times more likely to be injured.
NHTSA says motorcycles are becoming more prevalent on the roads as an attractive recreational option and because they are less expensive than cars to buy and operate. As gas prices rise, more people are opting to use their motorcycles for transportation, even during colder times of the year. More motorcycle use combined with ever-increasing amounts of traffic on the roads increase the likelihood of serious motorcycle accidents.
In South Carolina, 137 motorcyclists were killed in crashes in 2012, NHTSA says.
