Media Advisory: New Report on Fatal Single Vehicle Motorcycle Crashes Available on NHTSA's Worldwide Website

NHTSA
October 22, 2001

NHTSA 55-01
Monday, October 22, 2001
Contact: Rae Tyson
Tel. No.: (202) 366-9550

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today released a report on fatal single vehicle motorcycle crashes.

Single vehicle crashes account for about 45 percent of all motorcyclist fatalities. More than 38,000 motorcyclists have died in single vehicle motorcycle crashes between 1975 and 1999. This report provides data for insight into possible causes for these fatalities.

From 1990 through 1999, there were a total of 11,038 fatal single vehicle motorcycle crashes. During that same period, there were an estimated 294,000 non-fatal single vehicle motorcycle crashes. Of these, an estimated 39,000 involved property damage only and 255,000 involved injuries.

Motorcyclist fatalities in single vehicle motorcycle crashes decreased each year from 1990 to 1996, reaching a historic low of 937 in 1996 and again in 1997. In 1998, the fatalities increased to 1,042 (an 11.2 percent increase) in 1998 and in 1999, to 1,140 (9.4 percent). The overall increase in motorcyclist fatalities from 1997 to 1999 was 203 (21.7 percent).

This is the second in a series of reports on motorcycle fatalities. Copies of this and the first report, Recent Trends in Motorcycle Fatalities, can be obtained by calling (202) 366-9550, NHTSA's Office of Public and Consumer Affairs, or by visiting the NHTSA Web Site, http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/, and clicking on "NCSA" under "Popular Information" on the left.

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