Hawaii Motorcycle Traffic Fatalities Statistics
Hawaii reported 26 motorcycle fatalities for 2015, according to a report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This number is similar to recent years, but it is down significantly from the 40 reported in 2012 and the 35 reported in 2009.
Of those who were killed in motorcycle crashes in 2015, 10 were wearing helmets while 16 were not. Hawaii’s helmet law requires those who are 17 years old and younger to wear a helmet when riding a motorcycle. Helmet usage was at 38 percent for 2015, which saved six lives. At 100 percent usage, another six lives could have been saved.
The state had 42,821 motorcycles registered for 2014, which is up from previous years. The rate of fatalities per 100,000 registrations was down from 71.49 in 2013 to 58.38 in 2014. The majority of victims in motorcycle-related deaths were either between 20-29, or 50-59. Only two people were over 59 and one person was under 20 years old.
Most of the islands of Hawaii had between 6 and 15 deaths during 2015 involving motorcycles. One island had none. Hawaii County had seven for the year, which was a significant increase from the previous year with one. However, it is down from 2012 when there were 10.
Honolulu came in with 12, down from 15 the year before and 21 in 2012. Kauai was the area with no fatalities for the year, and it has remained consistently low with only one or two each year in the recent past. Maui has also remained consistent with seven for 2015 and either seven or eight in recent years.
With warm weather and beautiful scenery, it’s no wonder that Hawaiians take to motorcycles for transportation. However, the risk of fatality increases when riding at night and without a helmet. More deaths happen nationwide in the evening than at any other time of day.