U.S. motorcycle fatalities set record as pandemic makes people crazy

Numbers from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) show 5,458 motorcyclists died on the roads in 2020, an increase of nine percent over 2019. That's also the highest number of motorcyclist deaths in the United States in any year since NHTSA began using its current system, surpassing the previous high of 5,337 in 2016.

The motorcyclist deaths were part of increased fatalities in nearly all categories. Total traffic deaths rose seven percent to 38,680 in 2020, the highest total since 2007. Overall fatalities were higher in every month of 2020 from June on, as the effects of the pandemic wore on people's nerves.

The increased riskiness of U.S. highways in 2020 is shown by the fact that fatalities increased even though the number of miles driven declined by an estimated 13.2 percent. That meant that NHTSA's stat of fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled jumped from 1.11 in 2019 to 1.37 in 2020. NHTSA doesn't have reliable stats for miles traveled by motorcycles, specifically, so we can't draw any conclusions there.

Last year, I reported anecdotal evidence and early statistics from NHTSA suggesting that the stresses of the pandemic were making the roads more dangerous. The full-year stats back up those early impressions. Risk-taking increased. NHTSA noted that fatal crashes involving alcohol use were up nine percent and those in which car drivers were not wearing seat belts rose 15 percent. There aren't any similar motorcycle-specific numbers, but I have no reason to believe riders were immune to the same trends, especially since we saw lots of reports of extreme speeding on less crowded roads. It seems that a lot of us decided that if a virus might kill us anyway, what's the point of worrying about road safety?

"NHTSA’s research suggests that throughout the national public health emergency and associated lockdowns, driving patterns and behaviors changed significantly, and that drivers who remained on the roads engaged in more risky behavior, including speeding, failing to wear seat belts, and driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol," NHTSA pointed out. "Traffic data indicates that average speeds increased throughout the year, and examples of extreme speeds became more common, while the evidence also shows that fewer people involved in crashes used their seat belts."

As with other trends in the U.S. motorcycle market, such as increased prices for used bikes due to supply disruptions and the boom in sales of off-road motorcycles, the open question is whether 2020 will be just another fluctuation caused by an unprecedented global crisis or will be the first step in a new trend.