Indiana Motorcyle Fatalities on the Rise

Chrissie Cole

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The number of Indiana motorcycle fatalities reached a record high in 2007 due to a combination of alcohol use, riders not wearing helmets and a lack of rider experience.

Motorcycle ownership has almost doubled in Indiana over the past ten years. More motorcycles are traveling the highways and they are involved in more highway accidents. In 2007, motorcycles and mopeds in Indiana were involved in more than 500 accidents, of which 116 were fatal collisions.

The most likely person to die in an Indiana motorcycle accident is a 40 to 50-year-old man riding alone on the weekend, according to records kept by the state. The deadliest time for a motorcycle accident is late afternoon Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

When you take away experience and helmets, the numbers rise even further. Some 50 percent of those killed were not wearing a helmet and more than 60 percent were new motorcycle riders.

For more information, please refer to Indiana Traffic Safety Facts 2008.