Kentucky Motorcycle Accident Statistics

A total of 1,915 motorcycle accidents occurred in Kentucky in 2009, causing 89 deaths and 1,475 injuries, according to the Kentucky State Police's 2009 Kentucky Traffic Collisions Facts report. This averages out to more than five motorcycle collisions each day. Although motorcycle accidents are less common than car accidents and typically do not cause as much property damage, motorcycle crashes are more likely to cause serious injury or death in the event of a wreck.

Motorcycle Accidents 2005 - 2009
Year	Crashes
2009	1,915
2008	2,168
2007	2,087
2006	1,765
2005	1,777

Annual Injury and Fatality Crash Rates

The number of people killed and injured in motorcycle accidents has fluctuated over a recent five-year period. From 2005 to 2009, an average of 92 fatal motorcycle accidents and 1,282 injury motorcycle accidents occurred each year.

Fatal and Injury Accidents 2005 - 2009
Year	Fatal Accidents	Injury Accidents
2009	85	1,240
2008	86	1,407
2007	112	1,399
2006	94	1,182
2005	83	1,184

Helmet Use and Motorcycle Collision Deaths

According to the Kentucky State Police's Traffic Collisions Facts report, the majority of people killed in motorcycle accidents each year are not wearing helmets. Helmet use can significantly reduce your chances of getting seriously injured or killed if you are involved in a motorcycle wreck.

Motorcycle Accident Fatalities 2005 - 2009
Helmeted vs. Unhelmeted	Fatalities	Year
41 vs. 47	89	2009
41 vs. 55	96	2008
40 vs. 73	116	2007
32. vs 57	97	2006
32 vs. 57	90	2005

Causes of Motorcycle Accidents

The Kentucky State Police includes data on the causes of motorcycle crashes. The most common causes of motorcycle accidents in 2009 include:

• Inattention while driving (cause of 531 crashes and 31 deaths)
• Not under proper control (cause of 449 crashes and 30 deaths)
• Failure to yield right of way (cause of 198 crashes and 16 deaths)
• Alcohol involvement (cause of 93 crashes and 13 deaths)
• Exceeded stated speed limit (cause of 77 crashes and 10 deaths)
• Distraction (cause of 56 crashes and one death)
• Misjudge clearance (cause of 48 crashes and three deaths)
• Following too close (cause of 41 crashes and 0 deaths)
• Too fast for conditions (cause of 41 crashes and one death)
• Overcorrecting/oversteering (cause of 37 crashes and three deaths)

Contact a Lawyer

If you or a loved one has been involved in a motorcycle accident, contact an attorney as soon as possible for a review of your case.

The motorcycle accident attorneys of Proner & Proner have experience helping victims of Kentucky motorcycle accidents.