Pennsylvania Motorcycle Fatality Statistics
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Pennsylvania had a total of 178 motorcycle deaths in 2015. This number is down from 2014 when there were 185 reported. Overall, it shows a slow but steady downward trend from 2008 when 239 fatalities occurred.
Around half of the fatality victims were wearing helmets with 87 while 89 did not have on their helmet and another two were unknown. Pennsylvania has a helmet law, which states that anyone age 20 and under must wear a helmet. All operators, regardless of age, must wear a helmet for the first two years of being licensed unless they completed a safety course that would be approved by the Department of Transportation.
Pennsylvania had a 49 percent helmet usage rate in 2014, which saved 52 lives.
The state recorded 396,315 registered motorcycles for 2014. At the same time, the fatality rate per 100,000 was 46.68, which is up from 2013 and down from the previous years. The number of registrations went down during this time as well.
The majority of victims were in the 50-59 age range in 2015 with 44. In fact, the second highest age group was 20-29 with 36 deaths. The lowest group was those under 20 years old with 10.
Most counties reported at least one motorcycle death in 2015 with several showing more than six. The highest number of fatalities were in counties located in the southeastern part of the state. In fact, 12 counties had at least six deaths.
Allegheny County reported six for the year, which continues a declining trend. Westmoreland County, also located in the western part of the state, had six as well. On the eastern side, Bucks County had seven along with Lancaster County and York County reported 10 for the year.