New York Fatal Motorcycle Accident Statistics
New York reported a total of 1121 traffic fatalities for 2015, which is a rate of 5.66 per 100,000 population, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This is significantly less than the national average of 10.92. Motorcycle deaths represent 14 percent of the total with 160 for the year. This number is an increase over 2014, which reported 148, but down from 2013 with 170.
New York has a state law requiring all riders to wear a helmet when they are traveling on a motorcycle. Because of this law, the vast majority of riders who died in a crash had on their helmet. A total of 91 percent wore their helmet which is consistent with previous years. As evidence of the effectiveness of the helmet law, a total of 87 lives were saved in 2015 because of helmet use. An additional five lives could have been saved if the use of helmets increased to 100 percent.
The majority of people who were killed on a motorcycle were between the ages of 20 and 29 with a total of 47 fatalities. Those between 30 and 39, 40 and 49 and 50 and 59 each had 30 plus deaths reported for 2015. Only 13 people who were killed were over age 59 while just four were under the age of 20.
While the majority of counties in New York had at least one cyclist killed in 2015, most of them had fewer than six deaths. Six counties reported between six and 15 deaths while one county had more than 16. Suffolk County topped the list with 17 for the year, which was steady from the prior year. Queens and Nassau each came in with 9 and 12, respectively. Monroe County reported eight and Onondaga County had six. Westchester also reported six.