Washington Motorcycle Accident Statistics
- Motorcycle accidents involving fatal
injuries have increased rapidly in
Washington State over the last several
years, from a low of 28 deaths in 1997 to a
high of 80 in 2006. While 2007
statistics indicate a decrease of 13.8% to
69 fatalities, the marked upward trend is
still undeniable. The number of
registered motorcycles has increased over
the same period, explaining some of the
pattern, but the fatality rate per 10,000
registered motorcycles is also increasing.
From 2.94 in 1997, the motorcycle fatality
rate rose to 4.22 in 2006 – a 43.5%
increase.
- Due to the nature of motorcycles,
motorcycle fatalities are strongly seasonal.
Most motorcycle fatalities (60.5%) occur
during the summer months of June through
September. The highest numbers of
accidents occur in July and August, the peak
riding season. The majority of
motorcycle deaths also took place during the
day, between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. Between
1997 and 2006, the largest percentage of
fatalities occurred between 2 p.m. and 6
p.m. (29.6%).
- Similar to other motor vehicle
fatalities, the majority of motorcycle
deaths occurred on rural roadways between
1997 and 2006, most commonly taking place on
county roads and rural highways.
- Males comprise the majority of
motorcycle riders as well as motorcycle
fatalities. From 1997 to 2006, 89.7%
of those fatally injured in
motorcycle-involved collisions were male.
In 2006 alone, males made up 96.3% of all
fatalities. White individuals make up
the largest portion of fatalities, with a
death rate of 1.05 deaths per 100,000
individuals. The fatality rate for the
black population is 0.89.
- When all traffic fatalities are
considered, young people account for the
largest percentage of fatalities. In
motorcycle fatalities, however, the largest
majority of fatalities are aged 40 and
above. Fatalities aged 30 and under
made up just 32.1% of the total between 1997
and 2006.
- Nearly 45% of the motorcycle drivers
involved in fatal collisions between 1997
and 2006 were impaired by drugs or alcohol
at the time of the crash. Of those
drivers whose alcohol levels were tested,
36.6% had a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC)
greater than zero, nearly one-third had a
BAC equal to or greater than the legal limit
of 0.8%, and 17.5% of drivers had a BAC of
at least twice the legal limit. Note
that not all drivers involved in fatal
accidents were tested.
Source:
Traffic Research and Data Center
Washington Traffic Safety Commission
http://www.wtsc.wa.gov/research/collisiondata.php
