FACT SHEET

Motorcycle Safety

March 2009

What Car Drivers Should Know About Motorcycle Riders:

• Motorcycles have a much smaller profile than other vehicles.  This can make it difficult to judge the speed and distance of an approaching motorcycle.  (NHTSA)
  
  
• In the event of a crash, a motorcycle rider is much more vulnerable and in much greater physical danger than other vehicle drivers.  (NHTSA)
  
  
• Experts estimate that, per vehicle mile traveled, motorcycle riders are about 35 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die in a traffic crash.  (NHTSA)
  
  
• Don’t be fooled by a flashing turn signal on a motorcycle – motorcycle signals usually are not self-canceling and riders could forget to turn them off.  Wait to be sure the motorcycle is going to turn before you proceed. (NHTSA)
  
  
• Road conditions which are minor annoyances to cars can pose major hazards to motorcycles.  Riders may need to change speed or adjust their position within a lane in reaction to road and traffic conditions such as potholes, gravel, wet or slippery surfaces, pavement seams, railroad crossing, and grooved pavement.  (NHTSA)
  
  
• Allow a following distance of three or four seconds when following a motorcycle so the rider has enough time to maneuver or stop in an emergency.  And don’t tailgate.  In dry conditions, riders can stop more quickly than cars.  (NHTSA)
  
  
• In case of a crash, car drivers involved often say they never saw the motorcycle rider and were unable to respond in time.  (NHTSA)

What Motorcycle Riders Should Know:

• Riders have the responsibility of following the rules of the road, being alert to other drivers, and to always wearing protective gear.  (NHTSA)
  
  
• Approximately 40% of rider fatalities involve an unendorsed rider. (DOL)

• If unendorsed riders are stopped by Washington State law enforcement, their bikes can be impounded. (RCW 46.55.113)
  
  
• The most common causes of fatal motorcycle crashes are lane errors, speeding, riding while impaired, and rider inattention. (FARS)
  
  
• The majority of fatal motorcycle crashes occur between April and September, in dry conditions, and during daylight hours. (FARS)
  
  
• Over half of all Washington State motorcycle rider fatalities occur in King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties.  The majority of riders killed are over 40 years old. (FARS)
  
  
• The Department of Licensing has a web site specifically for riders that provides information about obtaining a motorcycle endorsement to your drivers license and provides locations and dates of training classes.  www.endorseyoursport.com

DOL: Washington State Department of Licensing
FARS: Fatality Reporting Analysis System
NHTSA: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
RCW: Revised Code of Washington