As warm weather finally graces the Northeast, everyone is getting out more — including motorcyclists. Unfortunately, this brings a sharp increase in fatal crashes involving motorcycles. A AAA Northeast analysis of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data from the last decade found that almost 60% of motorcyclist fatalities occur between May and September.
The last 10 years of NHTSA data shows motorcycle fatalities spiking by over 32% from April to May, when many motorcyclists begin taking advantage of consistently warmer temperatures.
Motorcyclist fatalities in the U.S. continue to trend dangerously upward. There were 6,335 motorcyclists killed in 2023, representing 15% of all traffic fatalities, according to NHTSA. This was the highest number of motorcyclists killed since at least 1975, the earliest year of available data.
“The continued increase in motorcyclist fatalities is especially troubling given that most categories of traffic fatalities decreased from 2022 to 2023, while motorcyclist deaths continued their dangerous climb,” said Jillian Young, director of public relations for AAA Northeast. “As we all take to the roads more frequently during warmer weather, drivers must keep in mind that staying alert and aware is critical to improving safety, especially as motorcycles can be more difficult to see because of their size.”
AAA offers the following tips for drivers:
- Increase following distance and take extra care when driving behind a motor, especially when stopping or accelerating.
- Carefully check mirrors and blind spots for motorcycles, which are less visible than other vehicles on the road.
- If a motorcyclist has their turn signal on, wait to make sure they actually turn before passing them. The turn signals on many motorcycles do not turn off automatically, so there’s a chance they could be activated from an earlier turn.
- Never drive distracted. At 55 mph, taking your eyes off the road for just 5 seconds is equivalent to driving the length of an entire football field blindfolded.
State-specific data:
- In Connecticut, there were 55 fatal crashes involving motorcycles in 2023, according to the Connecticut Crash Data Repository.
- In Massachusetts, there were 65 fatal crashes involving motorcycles in 2024, according to the Massachusetts IMPACT data portal.
- In New Jersey, there were 76 fatal crashes involving motorcycles in 2023, according to Numetric’s crash data repository.
- In New York, there were 188 fatal crashes involving motorcycles in 2023, according to the Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research.
