Florida Motorcycle Crash Statistics
Florida reported a total of 616 motorcycle fatalities for 2015. This number was a significant increase from previous years, with a total of 478 in 2014. The highest point prior was in 2007 when there were 566 deaths on a motorcycle recorded. This information comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Of the total in 2015, 316 fatalities were wearing helmets while 283 did not and 17 were unknown. Florida has a helmet law, requiring anyone age 20 and younger to wear a helmet. Those who are 21 years old and older must show proof of medical insurance coverage if they choose not to wear a helmet.
For 2015, there was a 53 percent helmet use, which saved 193 lives. However, another 108 could have been saved if there was 100 percent use in wearing helmets.
There were 558,123 motorcycle registrations in Florida for 2015, which was up slightly from 2013 but down from 2012. The rate of fatalities per 100,000 registrations was 85.64, which was also down slightly from the previous year.
The majority of motorcycle-related deaths had victims between the ages of 20 and 29 with 215. The next highest number were those age 50-59. The lowest rate was for those age 20 and younger with 28 deaths for the year.
The majority of counties in Florida had six or more motorcycle traffic fatalities in 2015. Miami-Dade County had the highest number with 77 reported for the year. This is a significant increase from the 67 reported in 2014 and the 47 reported in 2013. Several counties reported between 16 and 25 deaths for the year while two counties had between 36 and 45 and one county reported between 46 and 55. Hillsborough had 49 for 2015, which was up from the 33 reported just one year earlier.