Motorcycle Accident Statistics in California

Key numbers

• In 2024, 6,228 motorcyclists were killed in U.S. traffic crashes, a 2.2% decrease from 6,366 in 2023. Motorcyclists were 16% of all traffic deaths that year.
• In 2024, an estimated 86,887 motorcyclists were injured nationwide, a 5.2% increase from 82,567 in 2023.
• In 2024, the death rate for motorcyclists was almost 27 times the rate for passenger car occupants, per mile traveled (28.00 vs. 1.05 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles).
• In 2024, 522 motorcyclists died in California traffic crashes, 13% of the state's 3,876 traffic deaths.
• In 2024, 15 motorcyclists died in crashes in Sacramento County and 7 in Placer County.
• In 2024, 37% of motorcycle riders in fatal crashes nationwide were speeding, and 26% of riders killed had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher.
• In 2024, 92% of the California motorcyclists killed whose helmet use was known were wearing a helmet.

The national trend

Motorcyclist deaths in the U.S. rose from 5,620 in 2020 to 6,366 in 2023, then fell to 6,228 in 2024. Motorcycles accounted for only 0.7% of all vehicle miles traveled in 2024.

The table starts in 2020 because NHTSA changed how it classifies vehicles that year, and it says 2020 and later numbers are not comparable to 2019 and earlier. Starting in 2022, NHTSA no longer counts people on motorized bicycles as motorcyclists. Injury counts are estimates from a national sample, not a full count.

California's trend

Of the five years shown, California had the most motorcyclist deaths in 2022 (649) and the fewest in 2024 (522). The 2024 count was about 13% lower than the 598 deaths in 2023 (calculated from NHTSA's counts). In 2024, California had 69.49 motorcyclist deaths per 100,000 registered motorcycles.

NHTSA builds these state counts from FARS. The 2020 to 2023 counts are final, and the 2024 count comes from the Annual Report File, which NHTSA can update when it finalizes the year.

Sacramento County, Placer County, Roseville and the City of Sacramento

Sacramento County went from 32 motorcyclist deaths in 2023 to 15 in 2024. Placer County had 8 in 2023 and 7 in 2024.

For cities, the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) publishes crash rankings that combine people killed and injured. In OTS's 2023 rankings, a rank of 1 is the worst.

In 2023, 47 motorcyclists were killed or injured in Roseville crashes. Roseville ranked 19th of 62 similar-sized cities (OTS Group B, populations of 100,001 to 250,000).

In 2023, 154 motorcyclists were killed or injured in City of Sacramento crashes. Sacramento ranked 5th of 15 cities with more than 250,000 people (OTS Group A).

In 2023, OTS counted 565 motorcyclists killed or injured in Sacramento County, ranked 8th of 58 counties, and 150 in Placer County, ranked 39th of 58.

Who is hurt, when, and the factors NHTSA records

NHTSA breaks down the 2024 national numbers several ways.

• Age: In 2024, the average age of motorcycle riders killed was 40. From 2023 to 2024, deaths rose 20% among motorcyclists ages 15 to 20 (from 508 to 609) and 15% among those ages 21 to 24 (from 613 to 705).
• California ages: In 2024, the largest group of California motorcyclists killed was ages 20 to 29, with 140 of the 522 deaths.
• Speeding: In 2024, 37% of motorcycle riders in fatal crashes were speeding, compared with 22% of passenger car drivers. Riders ages 15 to 20 had the highest share, at 56%.
• Alcohol: In 2024, 1,529 of the 5,950 motorcycle riders killed (26%) had a BAC of .08 or higher. The share was 40% for riders killed in single-vehicle crashes, and 37% at night compared with 14% during the day.
• Alcohol in California: In 2024, 132 of the 507 motorcycle riders killed in California (26%) had a BAC of .08 or higher.
• Left turns: In 2024, there were 3,396 fatal crashes between a motorcycle and one other vehicle. In 45% of them (1,532), the other vehicle was turning left while the motorcycle was going straight, passing or overtaking.
• Licenses: In 2024, 35% of motorcycle riders in fatal crashes did not have a valid motorcycle license.
• Helmets: In 2024, based on known helmet use, 48% of motorcyclists killed in states without a universal helmet law were not wearing helmets, compared with 11% in states that require helmets for all riders.
• Where and when: In 2024, based on known values, 66% of motorcyclist deaths happened in urban areas, 62% away from intersections, and 56% in daylight.

NHTSA calls a crash speeding-related when the driver was charged with a speeding offense, or when the officer said racing, driving too fast for conditions, or going over the speed limit was a factor.

What California law says

• Helmets: Every rider and every passenger on a motorcycle, motor-driven cycle or motorized bicycle must wear a safety helmet that meets state standards, fastened with its straps and sized to fit securely. It is unlawful to ride, or to carry a passenger, without one (Vehicle Code § 27803).
• The helmet law took effect on January 1, 1992, according to the California Highway Patrol.
• Lane splitting: The Vehicle Code defines lane splitting as riding a two-wheeled motorcycle between rows of stopped or moving vehicles in the same lane, and lets the CHP develop educational guidelines for it (Vehicle Code § 21658.1). The CHP states that lane splitting is legal in California.
• Lanes: On a road with two or more marked lanes going the same way, a vehicle must stay as nearly as practical within one lane and may not leave it until the move can be made with reasonable safety (Vehicle Code § 21658).
• Speed: No one may drive faster than is reasonable or prudent for the weather, visibility, traffic and road, or at a speed that endangers people or property (Vehicle Code § 22350).
• Fault: Everyone is responsible for injuries caused by a lack of ordinary care (Civil Code § 1714). If the other side proves that an injured rider's own negligence was also a substantial factor in causing the harm, the rider's damages are reduced by the percentage of responsibility the jury assigns to the rider (CACI No. 405).
• Deadline: A lawsuit for an injury or death caused by someone else's wrongful act or neglect generally must be filed within two years (Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1).

What to do after a motorcycle crash

• Call 911 if anyone is hurt. A driver involved in a crash that injures or kills someone must stop at the scene (Vehicle Code § 20001).
• Drivers in an injury crash must exchange names, addresses and vehicle registration, show a driver's license if asked, and give reasonable help to anyone injured (Vehicle Code § 20003).
• If anyone is injured or killed, the driver must make a written report to the CHP, or in a city to the CHP or city police, within 24 hours (Vehicle Code § 20008).
• Report the crash to the DMV within 10 days if anyone was injured or killed or property damage was over $1,000 (Vehicle Code § 16000).
• See a doctor even if you feel fine. MedlinePlus says head injury symptoms can appear right away or develop slowly over several hours or days.
• Keep your helmet, riding gear and damaged parts, take photos of the scene, and write down the names of witnesses while you still remember.

How the numbers are counted

• Deaths come from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). FARS counts crashes on roads open to the public that involve a motor vehicle and kill someone within 30 days.
• National injury numbers are estimates from NHTSA's Crash Report Sampling System, a sample of police-reported crashes.
• NHTSA counts mopeds, motor scooters, minibikes, pocket bikes and off-road motorcycles as motorcycles. A motorcyclist is a rider or a passenger.
• A rider is alcohol-impaired at a BAC of .08 or higher. NHTSA estimates BACs when test results are unknown.
• The 2024 national, state and county motorcyclist death counts are the latest year NHTSA publishes. The 2023 counts are final, and the 2024 counts come from the Annual Report File.
• The California Office of Traffic Safety's Quick Stats page lists its own statewide totals, which can differ from NHTSA's: it shows 583 motorcyclist deaths in California in 2023, while NHTSA's final FARS count is 598. This page uses NHTSA's FARS counts for all deaths.
• OTS rankings for 2023 are the latest year OTS offers. They use police crash reports from California's Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), and they do not include damage-only crashes.
• OTS ranks cities only against cities of similar population and ranks counties statewide. OTS says the rankings are only indicators of potential problems.