CALIFORNIA MOTORCYCLE
ACCIDENT ATTORNEY

Motorbike accidents continue to be a concern in the state. In 2020, there were 5,579 motorcyclists killed in traffic accidents, constituting 14% of all traffic fatalities, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This marked the highest number of motorcyclist fatalities since the inception of the Fatal Accident Reporting System (FARS) in 1975. Notably, there was an 11% increase in the number of motorcyclist fatalities from 2019, rising from 5,044 to 5,579. While there was a 2% decrease in the estimated number of injured motorcyclists in 2020, with 82,528 reported injuries compared to 83,814 in 2019, the stark reality remains that motorcyclist fatalities occurred nearly 28 times more frequently per vehicle mile traveled than passenger car occupant fatalities in traffic crashes. Disturbingly, in 2020, 36% of motorcycle riders involved in fatal crashes were riding without valid motorcycle licenses. Riders involved in fatal accidents in 2020 had higher rates of alcohol impairment compared to drivers of any other motor vehicle type, with 27% being impaired by alcohol, while the figures stood at 23% for passenger cars, 19% for light trucks, and only 3% for large trucks. These figures confirm the dangerous reality of motorbike riding not just in California streets and highways, but anywhere in the country.