Motorcycles

Riding a motorcycle is inherently riskier than driving a car. Maintaining control is harder on two wheels than on four, and when crashes occur, motorcyclists are at greater risk of serious injury or death because they don't have an enclosed vehicle to protect them. There were 4,976 motorcyclists killed in crashes in 2016.

A helmet is the most important piece of motorcycle safety equipment. Helmets decrease the severity of head injuries and the likelihood of death. The federal government estimates that wearing a helmet reduces the risk of dying in a crash by 37 percent. Unhelmeted riders are 3 times more likely than helmeted ones to sustain traumatic brain injuries in the event of a crash.

Antilock braking systems (ABS) reduce the risk of a motorcycle crash. ABS prevents wheels from locking up, and that's crucial on a motorcycle. On a car, a lockup might result in a skid. On a motorcycle, it often means a serious fall. The rate of fatal crashes is 31 percent lower for motorcycles equipped with optional antilock brakes than for the same models without them.

Some kinds of motorcycles are riskier than others. Supersport motorcycles have driver death rates about 4 times as high as that of cruisers and standards. These bikes are built on racing platforms, and their combination of light weight and high-horsepower engines means many models can quickly reach speeds of more than 160 miles per hour. Sport motorcycles also have elevated driver death rates, and touring and sport-touring bikes have similar rates as cruisers and standards.