Motorcycle death statistics, Minnesota

[LSGiant]

The facts speak for themselves be careful out there.

2018 Motorcycle Riding Season Preliminary Statistics

There have been 20 motorcyclists killed in 19 crashes so far in 2018. The preliminary motorcycle fatality total for 2017 was 53.

2018 Rider Deaths Statistics

·         Helmet use

o    16 riders were not wearing a helmet.

o    4 rider was wearing a helmet.

·         Single-vehicle crashes vs. Multi-vehicle crashes

o    12 of the crashes involved only the motorcycle

o    7 of the crashes involved a motorcycle and another vehicle

·         Motorcycle vs. animal

o    1 crash involved the rider colliding with an animal.

·         Passengers killed

o    1 passenger has died in a motorcycle crash.

·         Motorcycle License Endorsement

o    13 of the operators had a valid motorcycle license endorsement or permit.

o    6 of the operators did not have a valid motorcycle license endorsement or permit.

·         Negotiating a curve

o    10 of the crashes involved a rider negotiating a curve.

·         Rider deaths by age:

o    Under 20: 1

o    20’s: 2

o    30’s: 3

o    40’s: 4

o    50’s: 7

o    60’s: 4

o    70’s: 0

o    80’s: 0

·         Rural vs. urban area

o    7 of the crashes happened in a rural area.

o    12 of the crashes happened in an urban area.

 

[danmcdermott]

Very interesting numbers. We always think it's the young kids going fast that die on motorcycles.

 

[Ranger Jim]

I'd be interested to know how much RECENT experience the riders had. Many older riders came back to riding after their children were grown. This would be after a 15-20 year layoff. Many things have changed in that period of time. Additionally, how many took any kind of FORMAL rider training?

 

[diz@ct]

I'd be interested to know how much RECENT experience the riders had. Many older riders came back to riding after their children were grown. This would be after a 15-20 year layoff. Many things have changed in that period of time. Additionally, how many took any kind of FORMAL rider training?

+1
Insurance companies released a report a few years back showing that 50 something riders were skewing the fatality statistics. People returning to the sport after a long layoff were buying bigger, heavier and more powerful bikes that exceeded their skill level. Proper training wasn't even a thought for most......

 

[56taskforce]

Definitely makes me think as I fit perfectly in the worst category. The C-14 absolutely the most powerful bike I have ever owned, may not be the biggest and heaviest but without a doubt the most powerful. This is the first I have been properly licensed and I now ride ALL THE GEAR ALL THE TIME,  no exceptions . I will definitely be doing some advanced riding classes and track days, not about to let pride make me a statistic I am not afraid to admit I love the power but this thing scares me...

 

[lrbuck]

What Jim said, plus

It's been my experience that many returning riders have a hard time getting over their old habits which makes learning new ones difficult.  Because their experience is from 10,15 or more years ago, they are not ready for the increased risk that today's traffic imposes. They also may not realize the commitment required to truly reduce risk. Some also think that the Sunday ride along A1A or out to Lake O, have less risk due to lighter traffic. No so much.

The crash numbers are coming down a little, mostly because there are fewer younger riders taking up the sport, but skewing the numbers toward the older riders who's riding skills and risk management are not up to snuff. We now have more riders that have taken Basic training, but the numbers barely budge. Why is that?
     

 

[mnbikeguy]

A piece of data missing from the statistics was presence of alcohol in the system of the rider. My sense is that a fair number of people returning to biking do so for the social implications. I see a variety of events that seem to promote riding from club to club. Returning to riding, new riders, heavier and more power bikes combined with alcohol is a recipe for these kinds of numbers.

 

[Clayton600]

wonder how many motorcycle riders there are on average in each age group? 2 could be a higher average for 20's age group than the 40's or 50's age group. I know very few guys under age of 30 who own a motorcycle. Plenty who want one but either family or other responsibilities 

 

[ron203]

+1 on the returning rider using 30 year old "muscle memory" and "remembered" skills/reflexes. My last bike before getting out, staying out, and later re-entry was 40 hp, 371#. I came back in on a C-10 @ about 90 hp-something and 600#. Not the same at all. I was "skeered" stiff...  Old guys don't bounce either.

 

[danmcdermott]

A while back I attended a class and part of it focused on middle age adults (50's) and associated trauma. Among the other things, their reflexes are slowed and there is degredation in peripheral vision, depth perception and thus the ability to judge speed of oncoming motorists. These are all natural things, however someone coming back to riding after a decade or more would not have the benefit of slowly and natural developing skills to cope with the natural decline of our bodies. People in their 50's as a group have more co-morbidities than younger people and do not tolerate major trauma as well. Ride safe everyone!

 

[jettawreck]

wonder how many motorcycle riders there are on average in each age group? 2 could be a higher average for 20's age group than the 40's or 50's age group. I know very few guys under age of 30 who own a motorcycle. Plenty who want one but either family or other responsibilities

I also think that is an important piece of data that is missing. Statistics can be useful, but also very misleading.
Numbers of riders in each age group and percentage of victims that had alcohol (or other "drugs") in their systems.
I find it hard to believe the collision with "animals" is that low (1-to date). It's a pretty common thing in the northern part of the state and I know of a few that have met their end that way. It's actually my biggest fear when riding. Had to brake quickly for a deer today and saw many more. And a bear!

 

[RoadKillHeaven]

I never forget an article in papers. Some biker group was protesting helmet laws in one of the eastern states. During an accident, a member of said group was killed. Head injury caused fatality. He was not wearing a helmet.

 

[S Smith]

I suspect stats are similar and somewhat proportional state to state. Based on the data in the Connecticut 2017 motorcycle safety report there were 53 fatalities in 2016. 2017 data will be in 2018 report but I was told the unofficial number was 51. FWIW Connecticut helmet law allows choice for riders over 18.
Here is one perspective on the data after reading the annual report...
http://ride-ct.com/experienced-riders-skip-conrep

 

[ron203]

I had to go into Atlanta yesterday and saw a DOT sign that said 2018 ytd motorcycle deaths in Georgia are 66. Also, over 2,000 auto deaths, but I didn't catch the exact number. Reminded me of this  thread and why I only ride in Atlanta with great reluctance. Be careful out there...

 

[ddback]

EIGHTY-FOUR PERCENT didn’t have helmets on.


Think about that for a second, and what that infers about those rider’s risk assessment. (And also how much it played into deadly injury).


Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE to ride sans helmet...what a great feeling. But I’m also still here, one accident in my MC history. 99% of the time I’m ATGATT.


I’m sure the 50 year olds stat is largely guys coming back, or getting a bike for the first time, and they’re modern, heavy, powerful bikes (because at 50 we can afford much more than we could at 20).


68% had MC endorsement. So 32% didn’t. Among that 68%, how many had real training vs just passing the test at DMV?


A touch over 50% of accidents involved negotiating a curve....there’s a HUGE piece of information. That tells me most riders likely didn’t have real training.

 

[willyp]

The raw stats don't tell the whole story. For example, stats show more riders died without a helmet than with one, but that doesn't give an idea of how many total riders went without vs with. Meaning, if 84% of ALL riders were NOT wearing a helmet, then the stats on deaths being 84% would mean wearing a helmet made no difference.

(Note... I am not saying you should not wear a helmet... Just giving an example.)

Also, what percentage of helmet wearers crashed vs non helmet wearers? I do believe wearing a helmet could reduce fatal injuries in the event of a crash, but what if helmet wearers are more likely to get in a crash in the first place?

 

[diz@ct]

I got curious if Europe had a different experience with motorcycle fatalities. Found some articles that show the same thing happening there as in the US. Most crashes happen with cages, or driver inattentiveness, a lack of training for the cyclist and alcohol. They measured fatalities based on number per million people so the actual number wasn't clear to me. Also; 90% of riders wore helmets.

https://www.motorcyclistonline.com/european-safety-study-finds-familiar-causes-motorcycle-accidents#page-2

 

[LSGiant]

Just to be clear more crashes here happen alone, no other vehicles involved.

 

[mcfly]

I'd be interested to know how much RECENT experience the riders had. Many older riders came back to riding after their children were grown. This would be after a 15-20 year layoff. Many things have changed in that period of time. Additionally, how many took any kind of FORMAL rider training?

+1
Insurance companies released a report a few years back showing that 50 something riders were skewing the fatality statistics. People returning to the sport after a long layoff were buying bigger, heavier and more powerful bikes that exceeded their skill level. Proper training wasn't even a thought for most......

A heavier more powerful motorcycle is less a factor than riding within your ability.  I jumped on the C-10 as my return ride.
Taking things slow at first, and gradually re-building my riding skills (with an MSF Course as well) made the size and power of the bike
moot.  You can safely learn to drive in a Ferrari just as well as a Fiat...  The driver has to be responsible, smart, and know his/her limits.

People also do not differentiate the differences between riding a motorcycle and driving a car.  They just keep
doing what they do in the cage.  That's where I feel a lot of people lose.  Riding a bike with the same mind set as driving
a car will get you killed.  After only driving for 25 years, you can't solely trust what you've learned in that time behind
the wheel of a car to keep you safe.  Bad Juju.

"Boomers" are a much bigger statistic because there's a LOT of them.  So 'statistically', the percentage of riders in each age group
will most likely show a more accurate picture.  Numbers can presented in a manner that can skew one's perception.

 

[pslshawn]

I'd be interested to know how much RECENT experience the riders had. Many older riders came back to riding after their children were grown. This would be after a 15-20 year layoff. Many things have changed in that period of time. Additionally, how many took any kind of FORMAL rider training?

+1
Insurance companies released a report a few years back showing that 50 something riders were skewing the fatality statistics. People returning to the sport after a long layoff were buying bigger, heavier and more powerful bikes that exceeded their skill level. Proper training wasn't even a thought for most......

A heavier more powerful motorcycle is less a factor than riding within your ability.  I jumped on the C-10 as my return ride.
Taking things slow at first, and gradually re-building my riding skills (with an MSF Course as well) made the size and power of the bike
moot.  You can safely learn to drive in a Ferrari just as well as a Fiat...  The driver has to be responsible, smart, and know his/her limits.

People also do not differentiate the differences between riding a motorcycle and driving a car.  They just keep
doing what they do in the cage.  That's where I feel a lot of people lose.  Riding a bike with the same mind set as driving
a car will get you killed.  After only driving for 25 years, you can't solely trust what you've learned in that time behind
the wheel of a car to keep you safe.  Bad Juju.

"Boomers" are a much bigger statistic because there's a LOT of them.  So 'statistically', the percentage of riders in each age group
will most likely show a more accurate picture.  Numbers can presented in a manner that can skew one's perception.

Totally with Marty on this one.  In fact, if you ride with common sense within your ability, I believe a bike like the C14 can get you out of more trouble than it gets you into.  The argument about declining faculties, I don't necessarily buy either.  Sure, we all (most of us) decline as we get older, but with that age comes wisdom.  And if you don't use the wisdom, I prefer you get off the same roads I travel.  And if your faculties have declined to that point, be a responsible rider, and take yourself off the road.

How about speed?  No mention of that in the stats.  I also agree with Marty on taking the cager mentality into your riding...stopping distances, tail-gating, etc.

Don't get me wrong - riding courses, track days, parking lot practice, etc. are all invaluable exercises, but I don't think they are as tell-tale of accidents/fatalities as everyone believes.

Again, ride within your abilities and it's so much tougher to kill yoself.  Throttle/braking control.

I also think that many riders (particularly new riders) get so caught up in the moment, that they forget about the concept of 'whose gonna potentially kill me as far down the road as I can see'?  As with so many high-risk activity accidents, it's generally a series of mistakes before the final curtain. Again, (most) cagers don't have/need this mentality.

Just my $0.02. 

 

[mcfly]

I had to go into Atlanta yesterday and saw a DOT sign that said 2018 ytd motorcycle deaths in Georgia are 66. Also, over 2,000 auto deaths, but I didn't catch the exact number. Reminded me of this  thread and why I only ride in Atlanta with great reluctance. Be careful out there...

Hot-lanta is no place for motorcycle riding.  If you have to, get in and out as quick (and safe) as you can.
Still.... not as bad as Miami. 

 

[funsize]

Jorge got back to riding in 2009 when he purchased his 2005 Connie.  He took a motorcycle skills class and I know he was glad he did.  A few years later, he took another class to improve his skills.  When I first started riding, I'm so glad I took the class.  I learned a lot.  People that get back to riding should take a refresher course.  I've been in group rides where several of the riders are lousy and not safe.  Thankfully none are from COG.

Irene

 

[Tour1]

  ...As with so many high-risk activity accidents, it's generally a series of mistakes before the final curtain...

I agree, except that many decisions aren't mistakes until something bad happens as a result.  I noted that my 2 slides on my Concours and 2 milder events on othe bikes all happened after long days.  But those long days were also after other long days so there was likely a sleep deficit that is difficult to track because nothing bad happened on those other days.  My Tour1 ID is about my work shift at the time I joined, 9 PM to 5:30 AM, w/o overtime, and staying awake during the BRC was very hard.  I actually did a shift between the classroom session and the first 12 hour "range" day IIRC.  But nothing bad happened so it wasn't a mistake, sort of, although it would have been illegal to operate a commercial vehicle.
Trying to stay on topic, I am sure that riders and drivers should self-regulate even when there is no law involved.  The event that triggers an accident might not even happen if you are in good overall shape and, yes, riding within your limits.  The lapse of awareness that alcohol frquently causes can be brought on by other stress factors too.
Of my 4 ouch events 2 were after making a wrong turn, was was stopping in a dark place to pee, and my first was a new rider wide turn that hit a curb going slow on my way to vote, about 7 AM after work.
PS sorry if I messed up the post number in the edited quote

 

[rain dancer]

Sometimes stuff just happens too. My wife and I were doing 55mph in Minnesota on route 55.  A van (this is part from what we were told, we have no memory of the accident, heck, I don't remember anything after lunch about 2-3 hours earlier!) sat for awhile at a side road. State police think the driver pulled out about 1 second in front of us. Van came from the left side of us, I was almost on the shoulder and trying to avoid them, and they still didn't know we were there until we hit them. We did get an award from Natalie of the State Police for wearing helmets and gear. That was 2013, and I have not been able to ride or drive since.  That's the longest I have not been on a bike since I was 12, and I am 57 now.  My wife still rides, but has had so many close calls because of distracted people, not sure if she will continue. All I know, is ya' all be careful!
edit: I rambled, sorry. My feelings are not only is it more dangerous for motorcyclist, but we as a community are bringing "cage mentality" to motorcycling. Before our accident, we had taken an advanced riding course. Like auto drivers that depend on blind spot sensors, back up sensors, etc, so did a lot of these rider. "I don't know why we practice stopping, I have abs brakes" is one I heard a lot. Another rider bragged about his powerful RR1000. Later I learned it had never been out of rain mode. We have seen a rider ride into oncoming traffic after failing to negotiate a turn because he was playing with a radio, another blew a stop sign while setting his GPS. Reviews of bikes don't help, as most put down any bike without a phone app hook up, under 200HP and an infotainment center. It would be interesting to see what kind of bikes and if the rider was distracted on the 1 vehicle accidents.
It will all be better when all vehicles are autonomous!

 

[mcfly]

It will all be better when all vehicles are autonomous!

Yeah.... that'll be fun. 

Considering automotive technology keeps getting better to protect the ever increasingly clueless society,
it is inevitable, but "better"?  Doubt it.

Then there's "Judgement Day"....  ;D

 

[rain dancer]

It will all be better when all vehicles are autonomous!

Yeah.... that'll be fun. 

Considering automotive technology keeps getting better to protect the ever increasingly clueless society,
it is inevitable, but "better"?  Doubt it.

Then there's "Judgement Day"....  ;D

I was just reading the new findings on Malaysia Flight 370 and that in may have been diverted off course. I can imagine hackers having "fun" with autonomous vehicles. This thread has me thinking I may go back to just dirt bike riding.........