Nationwide Analysis of Motorcycle-Associated Injuries and Fatalities in the United States: Insufficient Prevention Policies or Abandoned Laws?

Abstract

Background: Motorcycle road traffic collisions are a major cause of mortality in the United States. We aimed to analyze the temporal and statewide trends in motorcycle collision fatalities (MCFs) nationwide and their association with state laws regarding motorcycle helmet requirements, lane splitting, speeding, intoxicating driving, and red light cameras.

Methods: A retrospective review of United States MCF/capita from 2015 to 2019 was performed using the Fatality Analysis Reporting System database. MCF/capita was defined as a motorcyclist death per 100 000 motorcyclist registrations. Independent-samples t-test and ANOVA were used to determine differences, with significance defined as P < .05. Linear regression analysis and Pearson's correlation were used to further determine associations between variables.

Results: The majority of fatalities occurred in males (n = 21 354, 91.0%), ages 25-54 (n = 13 728, 58.5%), and Caucasians (n = 19 195, 81.8%). A total of 24 states and DC exhibited positive trends in MCF/capita from 2015 to 2019. There was no significant difference in MCF/capita between states who had mandatory helmet laws for all, partial requirements, and states with no law (63.4 vs 54.3 vs 33.6, P = .360). Among fatalities involving alcohol, a significantly greater number of MCF/capita were found above the legal limit of .08 compared to the group with a blood alcohol concentration of .01-.07 (17.8 vs 4.5, P < .001).

Conclusion: Motorcyclist fatalities continue to pose a public health risk, with 24 states showing an upward trend. Additional interventions and laws are needed to decrease the number of motorcyclist deaths. Further strategy on implementation and enforcement of helmet laws and alcohol consumption may be an essential component.

Keywords: injury prevention; injury research; motorcycle fatalities; motorcycle injuries; policy interventions.