The motorcycle death toll in the U.S. has continued to rise, reaching a record high of more than 6,000 in 2021, the latest year for which statistics are available. But it doesn’t have to keep rising. We have to do more to address this aspect of our road safety crisis, says Eric Tech, director of statistical services for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), in an IIHS release dated Aug. 24, 2023. Tech has been researching motorcyclist safety for the past 15 years.

Motorcyclists are often labeled as risk-takers, so perhaps that’s why our society continues to accept this loss of life. It’s true that riding involves extra risk compared with driving passenger vehicles, but it’s possible to reduce the risk without diminishing the joys and thrills that define motorcycling. If we’re serious about reducing motorcyclist deaths, we need, at a minimum, universal helmet laws in all states, antilock braking systems (ABS) on all new bikes, crash avoidance systems that detect motorcyclists, and a plan for lowering speeds of all vehicles on the road, says Tech. Together, these ideas make up a Safe System approach to reducing motorcyclist deaths and injuries. The Safe System idea — which has been incorporated into the federal government’s highway safety strategy, as well as that of many cities and states — recognizes that humans make mistakes, that mistakes should not lead to death and that everyone has a role to play.

Mandatory helmet use is perhaps the most obvious item list, yet fewer than half of states require helmet use by all riders. Properly designed helmets reduce the likelihood of death by about 40% and the risk of traumatic brain injury by two-thirds. Over the years, when states weakened their helmet use laws, motorcyclist death rates almost always increased; when states strengthened their laws, death rates almost always declined. Helmet requirements are unpopular among some people, but they save lives.

In addition to protecting riders in crashes, it’s also crucial to reduce the risk of crashing in the first place. Studies have shown that motorcycle ABS reduces crash rates. Crashes not outright prevented by ABS often are less severe because it helps riders brake harder and avoid serious falls while doing so.

The proliferation of motorcycle ABS over the past two decades is a bright spot in the otherwise grim safety picture. This rise can be attributed to both increased demand among U.S. consumers and to production practices driven by the many governments around the world that have mandated ABS, including all European Union member states, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand and India. Our own government should follow the example set by these countries and require this lifesaving technology on new on-road motorcycles. Such a requirement would close the gap that still leaves a third of motorcycle models sold in the U.S. without standard ABS. Back in 2013, IIHS-HLDI petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to do this, but there has been no response or action taken.

Preventing other vehicles from colliding with motorcycles is also key. We know from studies that failure to see motorcyclists or properly judge their speed is a common factor in crashes. Automatic emergency braking (AEB) is common on new passenger vehicles, thanks to a voluntary commitment by automakers to make the technology standard. A planned regulation from the federal government would make AEB mandatory and increase its performance requirements, but the proposal does not require motorcyclist detection, nor does another proposed rule requiring AEB on heavy vehicles.

A related emerging technology, left turn assist, has the potential to address crashes in which another vehicle turns left in front of an oncoming motorcycle — the most common type of crash between a motorcycle and another vehicle. Left turn assist uses a camera and other sensors to detect oncoming vehicles when the driver signals a left turn, warning against proceeding or automatically braking if the software determines a collision is likely. As this and other new technologies are developed and proliferate, it’s essential that motorcyclist detection be incorporated into their design.

Finally, we must remember that all countermeasures work better at lower speeds. That goes not only for motorcyclists, but for all road users. Lower speeds increase the time available to avoid a crash and reduce the forces when crashes do happen.

Unfortunately, states have been raising speed limits since the late 1980s, with some now as high as 80 and, in one case, 85. These increases have very real consequences and are inconsistent with states’ goals of reducing or eliminating crash deaths. If we want fewer deaths — of motorcyclists or any other road users — then speed limits need to come down, and speeding must be taken more seriously.

Each one of the thousands of motorcyclists who die on U.S. roads every year is someone’s loved one. It’s time to end our complacency and implement commonsense changes — stronger helmet laws, universal ABS, more robust crash avoidance, and lower speeds — as foundational pieces of a Safe System, says Tech. Even as we continue to research further ways to improve rider safety, we can take these lifesaving steps now.