The deadliest states for motorcycle riders all have one thing in common
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SPANISH FORT, Ala. (BIKER DAD) — The deadliest states for motorcycle riders all have one thing in common. It’s probably not that hard to guess. It’s the climate. The top ten states for motorcycle deaths according to the latest data are all in warm climates with year-round riding.
According to Quotewizard Louisiana, Carolina and, Mississippi have the highest biker death rate per capita. Down here on the Alabama/Florida state line where Biker Dad is located, Florida ranks 7th and Alabama 10th. That’s deaths per 10 thousand bikers. ” Climate plays an important role when looking at the most dangerous states for motorcycle riders. We found that warmer, southern states with weather conducive to riding have the highest rates of motorcycle fatalities. Louisiana is the most dangerous state for motorcycle riders. But South Carolina, Mississippi, Texas and North Carolina all have nearly double the fatality rates of northern states like Maryland, Delaware and West Virgina,” the website reports.
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The other leading factor, drunk drivers. And that includes the bikers themselves having too much to drink before riding. “Our analysts found that alcohol use while riding was especially prevalent in certain states. Alcohol was involved in 100% of fatal crashes in eight northern states. Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Montana had the highest numbers of fatal crashes where someone was legally or severely intoxicated,” the report goes on to say.
The report says helmets are another major factor, “wearing helmets saves lives. Recent studies show that wearing a DOT-approved helmet reduces the risk of head injury by 69% and the risk of death by 42%. Despite these facts, many states don’t require helmets, and helmet use has declined by 2% nationwide.”
It’s a double whammy in the warm states that also don’t require helmets the report says, “what’s especially concerning is that helmet use has decreased the most in the South, an area that already has the highest rate of motorcycle fatalities. We also found that riders are significantly less likely to wear a helmet when they have a passenger.”j