Motorcycle Deaths Rising: Why Car Safety Tech Isn't Saving Bikers
by AutoExpert | 14 May, 2025
Cars keep getting smarter about avoiding crashes. The IIHS has been pushing automakers to ace those fancy collision tests for years now. These days, they're all about making sure cars can spot pedestrians and motorcyclists before disaster strikes.
Just one problem — motorcycle deaths keep climbing.
The Grim Tally Keeps Growing
The numbers tell a pretty depressing story:
- 2019: 5,014 bikers didn't make it home
- 2020: 5,506 deaths
- 2021: 5,932 deaths
- 2022: 6,222 deaths
- 2023: 6,335 deaths
That's not just a blip — it's a trend. And no, it's not just because there are more people around. Motorcycle fatalities jumped 1.8% last year while the population only grew 0.5%.
The Left-Turn Death Trap
Turns out riding a motorcycle is scary business. Bikers are 28 times more likely to die in crashes than people in cars, mile for mile.
But here's the kicker — nearly half of all deadly motorcycle crashes happen when some driver makes a left turn while the motorcyclist is cruising straight ahead. That split-second of not seeing someone costs about 1,200 lives every year.
Why Aren't Things Getting Better?
The brutal truth? All those shiny new safety features are only on... well, new cars. And most folks are driving around in vehicles that are 8-14 years old.
When only about 5% of vehicles on the road have the latest motorcycle-detecting tech, we're basically waiting for the national car fleet to catch up. And that could take another decade.
In the meantime, the old advice still matters most: look twice for motorcycles, especially before turning. Sometimes that extra head check is all it takes to save someone's life.
