4.10 Motorcyclist Fatalities by Speeding

The percent of motorcyclist fatalities, where speeding was recorded as driver contributing factor remains about 42 percent and has not changed significantly in the past ten years. Further analysis of the data in the following sections reveals some important information relating to speeding and alcohol use by age groups. Table 20 shows the numbers and percentage of fatalities listed for each of the past ten years.

It has been my desire to get the accurate number of motorcycle operators who were fatally injured while speeding and sober in all motorcycle accidents in 1999. The number is not directly available in the document, DOT HS 807-271 Technical Report: Recent Trends in Fatal Motorcycle Crashes. It should be possible to get the number through FARS (Fatality Analysis Reporting System); however, since I am not proficient at setting up queries for FARS at this time, I have opted to get an estimate for the number.

Several Numbers Available in DOT HS 807-271:

1. In 1999, of 2,472 motorcyclists fatally injured in motorcycle accidents, 2,276 were operators and 197 were passengers. [Table 10, page 19]
2. In 1999, of 2,472 motorcyclists fatally injured in motorcycle accidents, 1,737 (70%) were fatally injured in the accidents which occurred on the roadways categorized as undivided roadways. [Table 19, page 29]
3. In the aggregated 10-year period, 1990-1999, the total number of motorcycle operator fatalities was 22,160. [Table 30, page 41]
4. In the aggregated 10-year period, 1990-1999, the total number of motorcycle operators who were fatally injured while speeding and sober (BAC=0.00) in motorcycle accidents on undivided roadways was 3,336. [Table 38, page 50]

Calculation of the Estimate:

1. From the numbers in 1 and 3 above, we can calculate the percentage which the 1999 motorcycle operator fatality number, 2,276, represents in the ten-year total, 22,160; it is 10.27%.
2. From the numbers in 4 and A above, we can infer the low estimate of the number of motorcycle operators who were fatally injured while speeding and sober in motorcycle accidents on undivided roadways in the year 1999 could be at least 343. (10.27% of 3,336)
3. Since the estimate obtained in B above does not include the number of fatalities among motorcycle operators who were killed while speeding and sober in motorcycle accidents on other kinds of roadways (divided roadways as opposed to undivided roadways), representing 30% of total fatalities, we can infer the high estimate could be reasonably expected to be as high as 489. (343 divided by .70)
4. The average of the two numbers, 343 and 489, is 416. This is the estimate we choose to use in the next reduction step in the hypothetical reduction of fatalities and fatality rate.

Table H6-1: Reduction of Fatalities and Fatality Rate Based on DOT HS 809-271 Figures No Passenger; No Drinking; No Speeding (1999)
	Reduction in Fatalities	Fatalities	Fatality Rate: per 100,000 Registered Motorcycles	Percent Reduction from Factual
1999 (Factual)	N/A	2,472	59.53	N/A
No Passenger	196	2,276	54.81	-7.93%
No Drinking	875	1,401	33.74	-43.32%
No Speeding	416	985	23.72	-60.15%

Note: Fatality Rate is calculated using the following formula:

Fatality Rate = (Fatalities / 4,152,433) x 100,000
4,152,433 = The Number of Registered Motorcycles for the year 1999, as reported on the page 8 of DOT HS 809-271.