Motorcycle Fatalities Nearly Double After Helmet Repeal

While overall roadway fatalities were down, motorcyclist fatalities have never been higher. Preliminary numbers indicate that 175 motorcyclists were killed on Missouri roadways in 2023, a 14% increase over the previous year (153 fatalities).

2023 saw the highest number of motorcyclist fatalities ever reported in Missouri, and almost 50% higher than the average number of motorcyclist fatalities prior to the repeal of Missouri’s all-rider helmet law in 2020. Safety professionals cite the lack of helmet use as a major contributing factor to the increase.

“To see not only an increase in motorcycle fatalities from the previous year, but to have it be the highest number ever reported proves that when it comes to motorcycle safety, public policy matters and we’ve taken a step backwards,” said Missouri Department of Transportation Director Patrick McKenna. “The importance of choosing to wear a helmet when riding can’t be overstated. Without it, the likelihood of a crash causing a fatal injury jumps up significantly.”

Other prevalent characteristics observed in roadway fatalities include lack of seat belt use, distracted driving, speed and impairment. These behaviors continue to plague Missouri roadways. Of the vehicle occupants killed in 2023, 63% were not wearing a seat belt.

Distracted driving contributed to more than 100 deaths in 2023, and historically, more than half of the victims are someone other than the distracted driver. Impaired driving accounted for approximately 17% of the fatalities in 2023 while speed and other aggressive driving behaviors remained the top concern, contributing to more than half of the total fatalities.

According to preliminary data, 989 fatalities occurred on Missouri roadways in 2023. This is a decrease of 6% when compared to 2022, when there were 1,057 fatalities.

KPGZ News - Brian Watts contributed to this story