The climate and terrain in New Mexico make the state a haven for motorcycle enthusiasts of all ages. Whether a person rides a motorcycle as a primary means of transportation or simply enjoys riding the open roads, they should know the realities they face when sharing the road with cars, trucks, SUVs and other vehicles.
Many people may assume motorcycle accidents commonly involve young riders who may be less careful when riding. However, statistics compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”) show otherwise.
Riders 50 to 59 among highest fatality groups
NHTSA data provides a breakdown of motorcyclist fatalities by age group. Over the five years spanning 2014 through 2018, 56 riders in their 50s lost their lives in motorcycle crashes in New Mexico, which equates to the number of riders in their 20s who died during that same period in motorcycle crashes. The group with the next highest number of fatalities were motorcyclist 60 years old and beyond (see page 14).
Among motorcyclist in their 30s, there were 37 people who were killed while riding between 2014 and 2018 with another 33 motorcyclists in their 40s dying in the same five years.
New Mexico’s up and down trend with motorcyclist deaths
The total motorcycle fatalities in New Mexico reflected increases and decreases from 2014 to 2018. On the high end, 53 riders died in 2017.
This information is not intended to provide legal advice but is instead meant to give New Mexicans an understanding of some of the risks faced by motorcyclists being equally shared among riders of all age groups regardless of stereotypes that abound.
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