The number of annual motorcycle fatalities observed in Florida has more than doubled over the past twenty years. Although there has been some decline since 2015, when a high of 584 was reached, motorcycle fatalities remain elevated, with an average of 550 per year from 2016-2021. Of additional concern, overall, traffic fatalities have increased by nearly 17% over the past five years, with motorcycle fatalities increasing by 3%.
Motorcycles represent just 3% of the registered motor vehicles and account for less than 1% of the vehicle miles traveled (VMT) on Florida roadways. Moreover, during the past five years, only about 2% of all Florida traffic crashes involved a motorcycle. Despite these low figures, motorcycles continue to be involved in a disproportionate number of fatal crashes, with motorcycle fatalities representing nearly 17% of all traffic crash deaths in Florida during the most recent five-year period.
The following figures present motorcycle fatalities and serious injuries by month and day of week.
From 2015 to 2020, motorcycle fatalities and serious injuries tended to occur with the greatest frequency during the spring and fall. Illustrating this point, serious injuries were most common during the month of March, followed by April and October. March also had the highest number of motorcycle fatalities, with November and December representing subsequent high points.
When broken down by day of the week, a clear trend emerges: From 2015 to 2020, motorcycle fatalities and serious injuries occurred at a greater frequency on weekends than on weekdays. Both outcomes were most common on Saturday, followed by Sunday and Friday.