Stats reflect risks that can come with use of motorcycles

Oct 05, 2023

Aug 29, 2023

Motorcycle drivers and riders relish the freedom and exhilarating wind-in-your-hair experience provided by that popular mode of transportation. But with those pleasures come clear and present dangers. National, state and local statistics drive home that point forcefully.

Motorcycle riders are 29 times more likely to die and four times more likely to be injured in crashes than passenger-vehicle occupants, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. And unlike the overall downward trend in all traffic deaths over the past 50 years, 5,932 motorcyclists were killed in the United States in 2021, the highest death toll since 1975.

In Ohio, the Department of Public Safety reports 18,980 motorcycle-involved crashes on Ohio roadways from 2018 through 2022 with an increase reported in each of the past five years. These crashes included 927 fatal accidents that killed 953 motorcyclists and 13 others.

Those disturbing trends are mirrored in the Mahoning Valley. According to data from the Ohio State Highway Patrol, in Columbiana County there haven been three motorcycle-related fatalities this year. There were two in each of 2022 and 2021. In Mahoning County, four of seven fatal vehicle accidents through Aug. 23 of this year have involved motorcycles.

Clearly then, the need remains for action and aggressive public awareness and education campaigns to lower those grisly tolls. The Ohio Department of Public Safety is leading the pack in educating motorcyclists and passenger-vehicle drivers of potentially life-saving safety protocols.

First, far too many unlicensed and therefore untrained motorcycle drivers ravage the roads and risk their lives and lives of others. In Ohio, for example, motorcycle drivers were at fault in 56% of all motorcycle-involved crashes and 64% of fatal crashes from 2018 through 2022. Half of at-fault motorcycle drivers did not have a motorcycle license endorsement.

Second, the value of protective helmets is well documented and cannot be overstated. According to the NHTSA, helmets are about 37% effective in preventing motorcycle deaths and about 67% effective in preventing brain injuries. In Ohio over that same five-year time span, 72% of motorcyclists killed and 66% of motorcyclists seriously injured in crashes were not wearing a helmet.

Third, don’t drink and ride as the risks of driving a motorcycle impaired zoom past the same risks of driving a passenger vehicle. From 2018 through 2022, 9% of Ohio’s motorcycle-involved crashes involved alcohol and/or drugs, nearly twice the rate of alcohol / drug use in vehicle crashes overall (5%).

To its credit, the Ohio Department of Public Safety has instituted a comprehensive motorcycle safety and education program. That program, Motorcycle Ohio, is available online at motorcycle.ohio.gov. It includes training courses for beginning to seasoned drivers and provides links to apply for motorcycle, motor scooter, moped and motorized bicycle permits from the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

Of course, the onus for cycle crashes isn’t always on the motorcycle driver. Car, truck and SUV drivers must treat cyclists with the same respect as given drivers of other vehicles. That means they must provide extra assured clear distance, pay close attention to blind spots, treat motorcycle turn signals with caution as many of them are not self-canceling and never pass motorcycles in the same lane.

With strict attention to safety on all fronts, there’s no reason why Ohio’s 400,000 motorcyclists cannot enjoy the thrills of the open air without endangering their own lives or the lives of others

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

Motorcycle drivers and riders relish the freedom and exhilarating wind-in-your-hair experience provided by that ...

Counties in Appalachian Ohio are gripped by a kind of generational economic sluggishness that leaves too many ...

State Rep. Reggie Stoltzfus, R-Paris Township, is the primary sponsor for a bill that takes an unusual approach to ...

Ready or not, here it comes. Another school year has arrived. Yes, already!Classrooms open for many next week. ...

For six months, politicians and railroad industry leaders — well, mostly Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw — have ...

To their credit, poll workers in Ohio managed to pull off an August election despite the shortened timeline and ...