In 2017 alone, 5,172 motorcyclists lost their lives in motorcycle crashes, which was down 3% from 5,337 the previous year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). That year, it was found that people riding motorcycles were 27 times more likely to die in a crash per vehicle mile traveled than people in passenger vehicles.
So how many deaths occurred in each state, and how many lives could have been saved if motorcyclists had been wearing helmets? The states in this guide are listed in order of the number of lives that could have been saved with motorcycle helmets.
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How Many Motorcycle Fatalities Occurred in Each State?
According to the data, Florida had more motorcycle-related fatalities than any other state, with 590. Only three states in the country had more than 190 motorcycle fatalities: Florida, California (529), and Texas (490). Based on 2017 statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), here are the number of motorcycle crashes and fatalities in one year:
- Florida: 590
- California: 529
- Texas: 490
- Pennsylvania: 187
- North Carolina: 176
- Arizona: 163
- Illinois: 162
- Ohio: 157
- Michigan: 150
- Indiana: 149
- New York: 145
- South Carolina: 145
- Georgia: 139
- Tennessee: 134
- Missouri: 121
- Virginia: 117
- Colorado: 103
- Louisiana: 96
- Oklahoma: 93
- Kentucky: 90
- Maryland: 86
- New Jersey: 83
- Washington: 80
- Alabama: 79
- Wisconsin: 77
- Arkansas: 65
- Connecticut: 57
- Oregon: 57
- Kansas: 56
- Minnesota: 55
- Nevada: 54
- New Mexico: 53
- Massachusetts: 51
- Iowa: 48
- Mississippi: 40
- Utah: 39
- Nebraska: 27
- Maine: 26
- West Virginia: 26
- Hawaii: 25
- Idaho: 25
- Montana: 23
- Wyoming: 17
- South Dakota: 16
- New Hampshire: 15
- Vermont: 13
- North Dakota: 12
- Rhode Island: 11
- Delaware: 10
- Alaska: 6
How Many Lives Could Have Been Saved by Wearing Motorcycle Helmets?
With the use of motorcycle helmets, many lives could have been saved. In Florida, for example, where there were 590 motorcycle fatalities, 110 lives (18.64%) could have been saved if helmets were in use. Texas comes in a close second, with 94 deaths that could have been avoided (19.18%). Here are the states across America and how many lives could have been saved if those involved had been wearing helmets, based on the data from 2017:
- Florida: 110 (18.64%)
- Texas: 94 (19.18%)
- Ohio: 42 (26.75%)
- Illinois: 42 (25.93%)
- Indiana: 40 (26.85%)
- South Carolina: 38 (26.21%)
- Arizona: 34 (20.86%)
- Pennsylvania: 34 (18.18%)
- Colorado: 27 (26.21%)
- Michigan: 27 (18.00%)
- Oklahoma: 26 (27.96%)
- Kentucky: 22 (24.44%)
- Wisconsin: 17 (22.08%)
- California: 16 (3.03%)
- Minnesota: 15 (27.27%)
- New Mexico: 14 (26.42%)
- Iowa: 13 (27.08%)
- Kansas: 13 (23.21%)
- Connecticut: 13 (22.81%)
- Arkansas: 13 (20.00%)
- Utah: 10 (25.64%)
- Missouri: 8 (6.61%)
- Idaho: 6 (24.00%)
- Maine: 6 (23.08%)
- Georgia: 6 (4.32%)
- Wyoming: 5 (29.41%)
- Montana: 5 (21.74%)
- Hawaii: 5 (20.00%)
- Maryland: 5 (5.81%)
- Louisiana: 5 (5.21%)
- South Dakota: 4 (25.00%)
- West Virginia: 4 (15.39%)
- New York: 4 (2.76%)
- North Carolina: 4 (2.27%)
- North Dakota: 3 (25.00%)
- New Hampshire: 3 (20.00%)
- Mississippi: 3 (7.5%)
- Nevada: 3 (5.56%)
- Tennessee: 3 (2.24%)
- Delaware: 2 (20.00%)
- Rhode Island: 2 (18.18%)
- Alabama: 2 (2.53%)
- Alaska: 1 (16.67%)
- Oregon: 1 (1.75%)
- New Jersey: 1 (1.21%)
- Virginia: 0 (0%)
- Washington: 0 (0%)
- Massachusetts: 0 (0%)
- Nebraska: 0 (0%)
- Vermont: 0 (0%)
How Many States Require Riders to Wear Motorcycle Helmets by Law?
Nineteen states require helmets for motorcycle riders by law: Alabama, California, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia. Currently, 27 states have helmet laws that only apply to certain riders (minors), and three states have no laws related to motorcycle helmets at all: Iowa, Illinois, and New Hampshire.