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Question 22 of 24

Your most common way of getting around?

By Nattapong Sukkasem · Published 2026-07-05 · Updated 2026-10-21.

The short answer

Death risk varies sharply by how you travel. US federal crash data show motorcyclists face a dramatically higher fatality rate per mile than car occupants, and account for a share of road deaths far exceeding their share of traffic.

Meet the 'donorcycle'

💀 A grim little fact

Emergency-room staff have a bleak nickname for motorcycles: donorcycles. The data earns it. Per mile traveled, motorcyclists are about 27 times more likely to die in a crash than car occupants (NHTSA, 2024) — 31.4 deaths per 100 million miles versus 1.1 for cars.

Motorcycles are only ~3% of registered vehicles and 0.6% of miles driven, yet account for roughly 16% of all traffic deaths. A car surrounds you with steel, crumple zones, airbags and a belt. A motorcycle offers a helmet and a can-do attitude.

Per mile, motorcyclists die ~27x as often as car occupants.

🔮 Myth vs. Morty

Myth: "I'm a really safe rider, so the stats don't apply to me." Skill genuinely helps — but a large share of fatal motorcycle crashes involve another vehicle whose driver never saw the bike. Your flawless technique can't un-distract the SUV turning left across your lane. Physics does not grade on effort.

Sources: NHTSA (2024); IIHS; National Safety Council · Entertainment only — not medical advice.

Road deaths by transport mode: what the evidence shows

Last reviewed · compiled by the ExpireOnDate editorial team · not medically reviewed

What the research shows

  • Using 2023 data, the motorcyclist fatality rate per mile travelled was nearly 28 times that of passenger car occupants.

    motorcyclists compared with passenger car occupants · United States · federal crash statistics per vehicle mile travelled · 2023 data, reported 2025 · Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

  • In 2024 motorcyclists accounted for 16% of all motor vehicle crash deaths, despite representing a far smaller share of registered vehicles and total travel.

    all US motor vehicle crash fatalities · United States · national crash fatality statistics · 2024 · Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

What it does not show

This covers US motorcyclists against car occupants only. Reliable per-distance figures for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport could not be verified during this review, so no comparison across those modes is offered here. Per-mile ratios also fold in differences in typical trip conditions — road type, time of day, rider experience — that the headline number does not separate.

Every figure on this page describes a population, not a person. Associations measured across thousands of people cannot tell any individual how long they will live, and nothing here is medical advice. If something on this page concerns you, talk to a doctor rather than a comedy website.

Sources

  1. Fatality Facts 2024: Motorcycles and ATVs. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (2024). secondary reporting; accessed 2026-08-15.

Spotted an error or a better source? Tell us — corrections are logged and the review date updated.

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