Question 22 of 24
Your most common way of getting around?
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.
Pick one to continue — the dead don't get to skip homework.
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.
References
- 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.