Massachusetts Fatal Motorcycle Accident Statistics
Massachusetts had a total of 306 traffic fatalities in 2015, according to a report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Of this number, 46 were motorcycle deaths. The number was consistent from 2014, which had 47. There has been a decline since 2006 and 2007, which reported 50 and 62 respectively.
Overall, Massachusetts shows a much lower rate of traffic deaths than the US average. The rate for Massachusetts per 100,000 population is 4.50 compared to 10.92 for the national average.
The majority of motorcycle-related deaths occurred when the person was wearing a helmet. In fact, 39 of those who died had a helmet on, and only seven were not wearing a helmet. Massachusetts is one of the states that have a helmet law requiring everyone to wear a helmet at all times regardless of age. There is an 85 percent compliance rate for 2015 with 23 lives saved.
The vast majority of people who died in a motorcycle crash were between the ages of 20 and 29. This age group saw 23 deaths. The numbers drop dramatically as the age increases. For those between 30 and 39, there were eight deaths; six died who were between 40 and 49, and two died who were between 50 and 59. Three people were over the age of 59 while four were under 20 years old.
Several counties reported at least one motorcycle fatality and three counties reported more than five deaths for 2015. Worcester, Middlesex and Plymouth counties had the highest totals. Worcester County had the highest total at nine, which was the same as the year prior. Plymouth County had a total of seven, which was a slight decrease from the year before. Middlesex County also had seven, but it was up significantly from 2014 when there were three deaths reported.