If you love to ride a motorcycle, you know that your hobby does unfortunately expose you to some risks due to the actions of other drivers. Parked car doors opening in your path and drivers turning in front of you provide just two examples of scenarios you must constantly be on the lookout for.
Sadly, many bikers lose their lives in crashes across Florida every year. Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration give a view into just how serious this problem is in the Sunshine State.
Motorcyclist fatalities in Florida
In 2009, motorcyclists represented just over 16% of all vehicular fatalities in Florida. That year, 413 riders died in accidents statewide. Five years later, in 2015, the state recorded 615 biker deaths, accounting for 21% of the state’s total accident deaths. In the subsequent three years, motorcyclists represented between 18% and 19% of all people killed in automobile crashes.
Motorcyclist fatalities in Hillsborough County
In the five years spanning 2014 through 2018, Hillsborough County recorded 205 total motorcyclist fatalities with 2016 being the deadliest year. In that year, 52 bikers were killed in the county.
Motorcyclist fatalities by age
Floridians aged 50 and older or in their 20s represent the greatest number of biker fatalities. Between 2014 and 2018, 919 riders over 50 died across the state. Another 903 bikers between 20 and 29 died in the same five years.
This information is not intended to provide legal advice but is instead meant to give residents in Florida an overview of how many motorcyclists lose their lives in accidents across the state each year.