Motorcycle culture is an exciting, rebellious trend that began growing in popularity, especially after the release of the show Sons of Anarchy in 2008. However, this newfound attraction to motorcycles across North America can be a bit troubling, since motorcycle accident statistics dictate one in ten traffic deaths include a motorcycle in Canada.

With the overall increase of motor vehicles on the road due to a growing population, this can be a concern for motorcycle riders (refer below for the increasing trend of motorcycle and moped registration, resting at 720,549 registrations in 2017). This report will analyze motorcycle accident statistics, and use these figures to examine the role that motorcycles play in car accidents in Canada.

Motorcycle Accident Statistics

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) released data on motorcycle accident statistics, stating that 2017 had higher numbers than average when it came to accidents. When it came to motorcycles, there were about 48 motorcycle deaths on the road. The study also found that in about half of the reported cases (22 cases), the driver was not at fault. Another issue that officers noticed was that many people riding motorcycles were not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, putting themselves at an unnecessary risk.

South of the border, we see more motorcycles on the road but a largely consistent fatality rate (refer below for a breakdown of the motorcyclist fatality rate and registered vehicle list). It’s possible that while the motorcycle culture is becoming more popular in the U.S. in a large part because of the media, the popularity surrounding motorcycle safety is also on the rise.

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; Federal Highway Administration; data lifted from: Insurance Information Institute.

While it is uplifting to see that there are no staggeringly high rates of motorcycle fatalities, it is important to understand how to exercise motorcycle safety on the road to protect yourself and others. Motorcycles are popular for a reason, but their riders must have a great deal of respect for them and for others they share the road with.

Number of Motorcycles in Canada

With this rapidly increasing population (the  reported figure in 2018 was about $37.0 million, a 0.90% jump from 2017, according to World Population Review), there are many more cars on the road and higher rates of car accidents. The city with the largest population in Canada is Toronto with approximately 2.6 million people. These dense cities can cause problems like urban sprawl where vehicles moving from surrounding neighbourhoods into the downtown core during rush hour will back up highways and cause bumper-to-bumper traffic.

When all of these vehicles (especially motorcycles) are tightly lumped together, that is when motor vehicle accidents are most likely to happen. Motorcycle drivers sometimes pull off stunts in heavy traffic and try to weave between cars, which increases the likelihood of an accident monumentally. The fact that motorcycles are an exposed type of vehicle without the proper armor surrounding the rider can cause much more damage to the driver when an accident does happen.

The number of motorcycles in Canada has not changed much over the past few years.

Fewer people in the millennial demographic are getting their driver’s license for a number of reasons. The steep costs of owning a motor vehicle and insuring it tend to be reason enough, though the proliferation of ride-sharing phone apps make getting around much easier. There have been some higher numbers of reported motorcycle accidents and injuries in Canada in 2017. There is also a consistent level of accidents in the U.S. despite the growing amount of motorcycle registrations.

Risks of Riding a Motorcycle

Being on a motorcycle puts you at more of a risk of being involved in a car accident than driving an actual car, largely because of the exposed nature of the vehicle and the fact that motorcycles tend to be less visible than an entire car.

There are a few safety measures you can take to prevent car accidents if you are a motorcycle enthusiast: