What Percentage of Motorcycle Riders Get Into Accidents?
You will find many statistics that quantify the risks of riding a motorcycle. Based on vehicle miles traveled, motorcycle operators and passengers are 28 times more likely to die and five times more likely to be injured compared to automobile occupants.
Moreover, riders account for about 15% of traffic deaths despite only making up about 3% of registered vehicles. However, these statistics do not necessarily quantify an individual rider’s risk of crashing in any particular year.
Specifically, they do not explain what percentage of motorcyclists get into motorcycle accidents in any given year. Instead, this statistic requires some calculations based on motorcycle registrations and licenses.
Motorcycle Crash Rate Based on Registrations in Texas
In 2023, Texas reported 394,391 registered motorcycles and 8,989 motorcycle crashes. Dividing crashes by registrations gives us an approximate annual crash rate of 2.3%. In other words, about 1 in every 43 registered motorcycles in Texas was involved in a crash that year.
However, this estimate has limitations:
- It assumes all crashes involved registered Texas motorcycles.
- It ignores out-of-state motorcycles or unregistered bikes involved in collisions.
- It counts all registered motorcycles, including those that were stored, non-operational, or never ridden during the year.
So while 2.3% provides a general snapshot, it likely overstates the risk for active riders and understates the total crash count, due to missing data on unregistered bikes.
Motorcycle Crash Rate Based on Licensed Riders
Texas does not publish the exact number of licensed motorcycle riders. However, for estimation purposes, we can turn to national data. According to motorcycle advocacy organizations, there are about 8 million licensed motorcyclists in the U.S.—roughly 3.4% of all licensed drivers.
If that same percentage applies to Texas’s 18.7 million licensed drivers, the state would have approximately 637,687 licensed motorcycle riders.
With 8,989 reported motorcycle crashes in 2023, that works out to a 1.4% annual crash rate among licensed riders in Texas.
Again, this is an estimate and has limitations:
- It assumes every rider involved in a crash held a valid Texas motorcycle license.
- It does not account for unlicensed riders, who are statistically more likely to be involved in crashes.
- It excludes riders who may have licenses from other states or who hold expired credentials.
Still, this figure offers a useful lower-bound estimate for gauging the overall risk of crashing among legally licensed motorcyclists.
Lifetime Risk of Dying in a Motorcycle Accident
While annual crash statistics offer one perspective, your lifetime risk of dying in a motorcycle crash is another sobering statistic. According to the National Safety Council, the odds of dying in a motorcycle accident are about 1 in 706, or roughly 0.14% over a lifetime.
This might seem like a small number, but compared to other causes of accidental death, motorcycle crashes rank among the most dangerous modes of transportation.
Understanding Your Risk of Crashing
There is no simple way to calculate precisely the percentage of motorcycle riders who crash each year. Based on calculations using motorcycle registrations and licenses, the risk in Texas appears to fall somewhere between 1.4% and 2.3% in any given year.
This might not seem high, but if you know 100 motorcyclists, between one and two will have a crash each year. However, your particular risk depends on the risks you take while riding and the safety equipment you use.
If you wear a helmet and avoid risky situations, like riding in a vehicle’s blind spots, you may reduce your risk of a collision. If you’ve been involved in a collision, don’t hesitate to contact Benton Accident & Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation.
We proudly serve in Dallas County and its surrounding areas:
Benton Accident & Injury Lawyers
1825 Market Center Blvd # 350, Dallas, TX 75207
Phone: (214) 556-8321
Hours Open: 24/7
Our firm is located near you. We have an office in Dallas.
Find us with our GeoCoordinates: 32.7950252,-96.8241861