Kentucky Motorcycle Fatality Statistics

Kentucky Motorcycle Fatality Statistics

Kentucky reported a total of 91 motorcycle fatalities in 2015, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This number is slightly higher than the two previous years, but it is down significantly from 2012, which had 106. The year before that was the lowest in a decade with 71.

Of those deaths, 30 victims were wearing their helmets while another 61 were not. Kentucky does have a helmet law requiring those riders under the age of 21 to wear a helmet without exception. Riders over this age must show proof of medical coverage to ride without a helmet. This law covers those with learner’s permits the same as those with full licenses.

Kentucky has a 33 percent helmet usage rate, which saved 18 lives in 2015. Another 23 could have been saved with 100 percent usage. The state had 111,096 motorcycles registered in 2014 with a fatality rate per 100,000 of 77.41. While this rate is rather high, it is down slightly from the last two previous years.

The majority of victims in motorcycle-related fatalities were between 30 and 39 with 22 deaths in 2015 and between 50 and 59 with 20. For those under the age of 20 who are required to wear helmets, the number dropped to three.

Slightly less than half the counties in Kentucky reported at least one motorcycle death in 2015. Only one county reported more than five for that year. That county was Jefferson with 13. This number is up slightly from 2014 when there were 10, but it is a big drop from the 20 reported in 2012 and the 21 in 2013. The fatalities related to motorcycle accidents are scattered throughout the state and not just found in the most populated areas.


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