19-02-2025
Florida is the top state for motorcycle deaths. Most deadly place, helmet laws
For the third year in a row, Florida ranks No. 1 in motorcycle deaths in the country, according to highway safety statistics.
The Sunshine State saw 9,420 motorcycle crashes in 2024, resulting in 578 fatalities and 8,106 injuries according to the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FHSMV) "Crash Dashboard." The years before were worse, with 621 fatalities in 2023 and 631 in 2022.
As of Feb. 6, 2025, 32 people have died in motorcycle crashes in Florida and 562 injured, according to preliminary FLHSMV data. And that's before hundreds of thousands of bikers and bike fans rumble into Daytona Beach for the city's annual Bike Week event.
In comparison, California had 525 motorcycle fatalities in 2023, despite universal helmet laws, and Texas had 475, according to a study compiled from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports by the personal attorney firm Jones & Swanson.
Florida also saw 1,024 DUI-related motorcycle crashes last year, the firm said.
"Florida remains the most dangerous state for motorcyclists, not due to chance, but because of policy failures," the firm said in an email. "Weak helmet laws, lenient DUI enforcement, and long-ignored crash hotspots are needlessly endangering riders. Without urgent reforms, these deaths will continue to climb."
Anyone operating or riding a motorcycle must wear protective headgear and an eye-protective device, per Florida law.
However, since 2000 it's been legal for motorcyclists 21 years of age and older to ride without wearing a helmet as long as they're covered by an insurance policy providing at least $10,000 in medical benefits.
The helmet law does not apply to anyone 16 years of age and older operating or riding on a motorcycle that is:
Powered by a motor with a displacement of 50 cubic centimeters or less, or
Rated not in excess of 2 brake horsepower and
Which is not capable of going faster than 30 miles per hour on level ground.
Anyone under 16 still has to wear a helmet.
According to reports from the Florida Department of Transportation, the intersection of State Road 82 & Daniels Parkway in Fort Myers is a high-risk location. Data showed 105 motorcycle fatalities connected to that location in 2022, Jones & Swanson said.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Florida saw 578 fatalities from motorcycle crashes in 2024: FHSMV
