May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month.
The Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau and the Iowa Department of Transportation are partnering to bring attention to a rising trend in motorcycle fatalities and encourage riders to be prepared and protected.
In Iowa, motorcycles make up 0-point-3 percent of all registered vehicles and 0-point-33 percent of all vehicle miles traveled. Yet, in 2023, motorcycle fatalities accounted for 16 percent of total fatalities. The fatality rate for registered motorcycles in Iowa is 10 times higher than the national average.
Helmets are a simple and effective way to reduce the likelihood of injury or death for those on two wheels. According to data from the past 5 years, 74 percent of people killed on motorcycles in Iowa were not wearing a helmet, while the national average is 38 percent. Iowa is one of three states in the country with no helmet laws.
