Motorcycle Safety Fast Facts

Motorcycle crashes accounted for 2% of the total crashes in Maryland in 2006.
Fatal motorcycle crashes comprised nearly 15% of all fatal crashes in Maryland in 2006.
In 2006, there were a total of 1,804 motorcycle-involved crashes; 83 were fatal (87 total fatalities), 1,406 resulted in injury and 315 were property damage only crashes.
For the first time in five years, fatal motorcycle-involved crashes decreased, down 3.4% from the previous year.
Nearly 50% of the fatal motorcycle-involved crashes occurred on Saturday and Sunday.
Over one-half of the total motorcycle-involved crashes occurred on a weekend (Friday – Sunday).
Approximately one-third of the total and 29% of the fatal motorcycle-involved crashes occurred between the hours of 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Nearly 70% of the fatal motorcycle-involved crashes occurred on state or county highways, 45.8% and 24.1% respectively.
Of the total motorcycle-involved crashes, more than 60% occurred on state or county highways, and over 20% on US route types (10.8%) and in Baltimore City (9.9%).
Approximately two-thirds of the total motorcycle-involved crashes occurred on roads with posted speed limits of 40 MPH or less.
Over 55% of the fatal motorcycle-involved crashes occurred on roads with posted speed limits of 40 MPH or less.
The majority of fatal and total motorcycle-involved crashes occurred in daylight.
Nearly 22% of the fatal motorcycle-involved crashes occurred in the dark with lights on.
The vast majority of fatal and total motorcycle-involved crashes occurred on dry surfaces.
Most operators involved (91.7%) or killed (98.7%) in a motorcycle crash were males.
In 2006, 13% of the motorcycle operators killed were identified as alcohol-impaired by the crash report, 52.0% were reported as having no apparent defects and in 30% the operator condition was unknown.
In 2006, 12% of the operators killed in motorcycle crashes reportedly did not use any safety equipment.
Four out of five of the motorcycle passengers killed in a crash were noted to be using safety equipment.
Almost 20% of motorcycle operators killed were between the ages of 40 and 44.
There has been a steady increase in the number of motorcycle-involved crashes over the past five years.

Source: Maryland Highway Safety Office