Motorcycle Death Rate Lower

While it seems we read daily about another fatal motorcycle accident, the fatality rate has actually decreased since the 1980s. "State transportation officials say even with thousands of new motorcyclists in Connecticut, the death rate involving motorcycles has gone down in the past two decades. As of Nov. 1, state figures show that 54 people have died in motorcycle accidents in Connecticut this year." In 1985, 74 riders were killed and the death rate per 10,000 registrations was 12.1, double the rate in 2006. Connecticut DOT statistics show that nearly 54 percent of the single motorcycle crashes between 2002 and 2006 were due to the rider losing control. Riding too fast for the conditions accounted for 20 percent of the crashes.