Aside from a small increase in 2015, the percentage of fatal motorcycle crashes involving alcohol declined steadily from 33.2 to 17.8% between 2011 and 2018. This represents a dramatic change, as the proportion of such crashes was nearly cut in half over a 7-year period.
- Studies by NHTSA, the states of Florida and Kentucky, and Australia (“Quick Tips: The Importance of Riding Unimpaired by Alcohol or Other Drugs”) (Motorcycle Safety Foundation, 2006) indicate the following:
- Having any alcohol in one’s body increases the chance of crashing by five times.
- Having a BAC greater than 0.05% increases the risk of crashing about 40-fold.
- One-fourth of all fatal alcohol-related motorcycle crashes involve motorcyclists running off the road, overturning, or falling from the motorcycle rather than striking another object.
For more information, refer to the following: