Alarming Statistics: Motorcycle Fatalities Are On the Rise In Colorado

Colorado has seen a significant increase in motorcycle fatalities in recent years.

Motorcycle Fatalities Significantly Higher

The deadliest year on record for motorcyclists in Colorado was 2020 when 140 riders were killed on Colorado roads. That figure is slightly more than 2021 when 137 motorcyclists lost their lives in Colorado. Those numbers are significantly higher than the previous three years, each of which saw 103 motorcycle deaths.

Some Fatalities Are Preventable

What is alarming is the fact that many of these deaths could be preventable. According to the Colorado Department of Transportation, most of the riders killed in 2021 were not wearing helmets. So far in 2022, there have been 17 motorcycle fatalities in Colorado and only four of them were wearing helmets.

What Colorado Counties Have the Most Motorcycle Fatalities

Motorcycles comprise a small percentage of the registered vehicles in Colorado. While bikes account for only three percent of the state's registered vehicles, they make up nearly 20 percent of traffic fatalities. the counties recording the most motorcycle deaths in Colorado are El Paso, Jefferson,  Adams, Denver, and Pueblo.

Darrell Lingk, Director of the Highway Safety Office at CDOT, says head injuries are common in motorcycle crashes. He urges riders to wear a helmet saying "Helmet use is the most crucial factor in the survivability of a motorcycle crash."