Message from AAA: Motorcyclist fatalities surge as weather warms

AAA urges increased vigilance during Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month

As warm weather finally blankets the Northeast, road users are getting out more — including motorcyclists. Unfortunately, this brings a sharp increase in fatal crashes involving motorcycles. An analysis by AAA Northeast of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data from the last decade found that almost 60% of motorcyclist fatalities occur between May and September.

Motorcyclist fatalities in the U.S. continue to trend dangerously upward. There were 6,335 motorcyclists killed in 2023, representing 15% of all traffic fatalities, according to NHTSA. This came despite motorcycles making up only one percent of all the miles traveled in the U.S. This was the highest number of motorcyclists killed since 1975, the earliest year of available data.

“The continued increase in motorcyclist fatalities is especially troubling given that most categories of traffic fatalities decreased from 2022 to 2023, while motorcyclist deaths continued their dangerous climb,” said Robert Sinclair of AAA Northeast. “As we all take to the roads more frequently during warmer weather, drivers must keep in mind that staying alert and aware is critical to improving safety, especially as motorcycles can be more difficult to see because of their size.”

NY: In New York, there were 188 fatal crashes involving motorcycles in 2023, according to the Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research.

NJ: In New Jersey, there were 76 fatal crashes involving motorcycles in 2023, according to Numetric’s crash data repository.

CT: In Connecticut, there were 55 fatal crashes involving motorcycles in 2023, according to the Connecticut Crash Data Repository.

AAA offers the following tips for drivers:

• Increase following distance and take extra care when driving behind a motorcycle, especially when stopping or accelerating.
• Carefully check mirrors and blind spots for motorcycles, which are less visible than other vehicles on the road.
• If a motorcyclist has their turn signal on, wait to make sure they actually turn before passing them. The turn signals on many motorcycles do not turn off automatically, so there’s a chance they could be activated from an earlier maneuver.
• Never drive distracted. At 55 mph, taking your eyes off the road for just 5 seconds is equivalent to driving the length of a football field blindfolded.

AAA Northeast is a not-for-profit auto club with offices in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, New Hampshire and New York, providing nearly 6.8 million local AAA members with travel, insurance, financial and auto-related services.