North Dakota Fatal Motorcycle Accident Statistics
North Dakota reported a total of 131 traffic fatalities for 2015, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The state has a rate of 17.31 per 100,000 population, which is above the national average of 10.92. Only six percent of the fatalities are motorcycle-related with eight deaths for the year. This number is fairly consistent with recent years, but it is down from 2012 when 15 were recorded.
North Dakota has a state law, which requires all riders age 17 and under to wear a helmet when they ride. In years past, more people who died did not have on a helmet, but for 2015, the trend was reversed with five wearing a helmet and three not. For the year, there was a 63 percent helmet use while the year before was only ten percent. It was estimated that another three lives could have been saved for the year if the statistics had been 100 percent helmet use.
People between the ages of 50 and 59 accounted for the most fatalities on a motorcycle for 2015 with three. Two people who died were over 59 and two more were under 20 years old. One person who died was between 20 and 29.
Only five counties reported a motorcycle-related death in 2015 and all of those were between one and five fatalities for the total. Cass County reported two deaths, which was the same as the previous year. Burleigh County had the same totals for both 2014 and 2015. Ward County had two deaths for the same two years while Pembina and Stark counties each had one fatality for the year. None of these counties saw an increase for the most current year or any significant changes from one year to another with motorcycle accidents and deaths.