Missouri Motorcycle Fatality Statistics
Missouri reported 97 motorcycle fatalities in 2015, according to a report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This number is up from the two previous years, but down from the 104 reported in 2012, which came just after the low point for the past decade in 2011 with 82.
A total of 86 of the victims were wearing helmets at the time of the crash while seven were not and four were unknown. Missouri has a universal helmet law, which requires every rider to wear a helmet no matter their age.
For the year 2015, Missouri had a helmet usage rate of 92 percent, which saved 53 lives. Another three lives may have been saved with 100 percent rate.
Missouri recorded 153,799 motorcycle registrations in 2014 with a fatality rate per 100,000 of 59.17. This rate was up from the previous year while the number of bikes registered went down.
The majority of victims in motorcycle crashes who died were in the 20-29 age range with 24 for 2015. Second were those 50-59 and over 59 years old with 21 each. For those riders under the age of 20, only one death occurred.
Fewer than half of the counties in Missouri reported a motorcycle death in 2015. Those that did had less than six, with the exception of two counties. The exceptions were the two major metropolitan areas in the state. Jackson County reported 14 deaths for the year, which was almost double the eight recorded in 2014. It also happened to be the second highest number in a five-year span.
The other county with a higher number of fatalities was across the state in St. Louis County with six. This number was down from nine in 2014, but it was up from the four in 2013.