Motorcycle Accident Deaths by State: 2024 Rates and Rankings (FARS)

Quick answer: In 2024, Wyoming had the highest motorcyclist death rate in the United States: 4.08 per 100,000 residents, followed by South Dakota (3.57), Montana (3.34), Arizona (2.89) and South Carolina (2.81). The national rate was 1.83. By raw numbers, Florida recorded the most motorcyclist deaths (642), ahead of Texas (582) and California (522). The lowest rates were in Rhode Island (0.72), Massachusetts (0.98) and New York (1.05). In total 6,225 motorcyclists were killed in 2024, about 16% of all US road deaths, according to NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).

Highest motorcycle death rates by state (2024)

Deaths per 100,000 residents, with the number of motorcyclists killed:

• Wyoming: 4.08 (24 deaths)
• South Dakota: 3.57 (33)
• Montana: 3.34 (38)
• Arizona: 2.89 (219)
• South Carolina: 2.81 (154)
• Colorado: 2.77 (165)
• Florida: 2.75 (642)
• Nevada: 2.72 (89)

Two patterns overlap here. The Mountain West states have long rural highways, high speeds and a lot of touring traffic, much of it from visitors who are not counted in the state's population. Warm Sun Belt states such as Florida, Arizona and South Carolina have year-round riding seasons. Full state figures: Wyoming, Arizona, Florida.

States with the most motorcycle deaths

• Florida: 642
• Texas: 582
• California: 522
• Ohio: 222
• Arizona: 219
• Pennsylvania: 217

Lowest motorcycle death rates

• Rhode Island: 0.72 per 100,000 (8 deaths)
• Massachusetts: 0.98 (70)
• New York: 1.05 (209)
• Vermont: 1.08 (7)
• New Jersey and Illinois: 1.18 each

Shorter riding seasons and dense, slower urban traffic keep rates lower in much of the Northeast.

Where motorcyclists are the biggest share of road deaths

• New Hampshire: 26% of road deaths were motorcyclists (35 of 133)
• Hawaii: 25% (26 of 102)
• Connecticut: 24% (75 of 310)
• Colorado: 24% (165 of 689)
• South Dakota: 23% (33 of 146)

Rising and falling states (2020 to 2024)

Among states with at least 100 motorcyclist deaths in 2020:

• Rose most: Arizona (162 to 219, up 35%), Tennessee (151 to 188, up 25%), Virginia (101 to 122, up 21%), Texas (484 to 582, up 20%), Missouri (123 to 145, up 18%)
• Fell: Indiana (151 to 137, down 9%), Wisconsin (116 to 106, down 9%), California (559 to 522, down 7%), Georgia (192 to 182, down 5%)

Nationally, motorcyclist deaths rose from 5,617 in 2020 to a peak of 6,367 in 2023 and were 6,225 in 2024, well above 2020 even as total road deaths fell back (see are US road deaths going down?).

What makes the difference for riders

Motorcyclists are far more exposed than car occupants, so speed, alcohol and helmet use decide many outcomes. Helmet laws vary by state: some require every rider to wear one, while others, including Florida, Arizona, Colorado and South Carolina, require helmets only for younger riders. Riders can cut their risk with a certified helmet and protective gear, a training course, conspicuous clothing and extra care at junctions, where drivers most often fail to see a motorcycle. On motorways and interstates, see how crashes spread along a route with the route accident history tool.

How these numbers were counted

Motorcyclist deaths are from NHTSA's FARS annual files for 2020 to 2024 (a census of fatal crashes on US public roads, public domain). Rates divide deaths by each state's resident population, not by the number of registered motorcycles or miles ridden, so states with many visiting riders can look worse than they are for residents. The latest year can be revised when NHTSA publishes its final file. Compare states with the accident trends tool, see the state rankings, or download the tables from the data page.