Motorcycles have a higher fatality rate per unit of distance travelled when compared with automobiles. According to the US Highway Safety Authority, in 2002 20.9 cars out of 100,000 ended up in fatal crashes. The rate for motorcycles is 66.7 per 100,000. 2004 figures from the Department for Transport in the UK indicate that motorcycles have 121 deaths or serious injuries per 100 million vehicle kilometers, compared to the corresponding figure of 2.6 for motorists.

A national study by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATS) found that:

Motorcycle rider death rates increased among all rider age groups between 1998 and 2000

Motorcycle rider deaths were nearly 30 times more than drivers of other vehicles

Motorcycle riders aged below 40 are 36 times more likely to be killed than other vehicle operators of the same age.

Motorcycle riders aged 40 years and over are around 20 times more likely to be killed than other drivers of that age.

According to 2005 data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration NHTSA, 4,008 motorcycle occupants were killed on United States roads in 2004, an 8% increase from 2003.

During that same period, drivers of automobiles showed a 10% increase in fatalities, and cyclists showed an 8% increase in fatalities. Pedestrians also showed a 10% increase in fatalities. A total of 37,304 automobile occupants were killed on U.S. roads in 2004.