2022 was the deadliest year on record for Colorado motorcyclists, with motorcycle deaths making up 20 percent of the year’s total traffic deaths, according to a recent news release from the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT).

A reported 149 motorcyclists died on Colorado roads in the last year. The Colorado counties with the most recorded motorcycle deaths were El Paso (25), Jefferson (19), Adams (12), Denver (12), and Arapahoe counties (11).

Of the victims, 75 of them were not wearing helmets, according to CDOT.

“Wearing a helmet can mean the difference between a minor injury and a catastrophic one,” said Darrell Lingk, director of the Highway Safety Office at CDOT in the release. “A rider without a helmet is extremely vulnerable to a permanent or life-altering injury in a crash. So wear a helmet and other protective gear to make it home safely to your family.”

CDOT also reported that speeding and under-the-influence driving are major contributors to the motorcycle deaths across the country.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data shows that 34 percent of motorcycle deaths in the United States involved speeding in 2020. In the same year, 41 percent of single-vehicle motorcycle crashes that resulted in death involved impaired driving, the release said.

So far in 2023, motorcycle deaths are down 22 percent from last year. CDOT wants to encourage drivers to keep motorcycle safety in mind, to avoid another tragic year.

The department offered the following tips to reduce motorcycle-involved crashes:

• Observe all traffic laws and always obey the speed limit.

• Drive and ride alcohol- and drug-free.

• Avoid distractions such as phones or anything else that takes your eyes off the road

• Yield to motorcyclists, especially while turning at intersections.

• Wear high-visibility personal protective gear and DOT-compliant motorcycle helmets. 

“It only takes one mistake to result in tragedy. Trained riders tend to be in fewer and less severe crashes. Make a commitment to follow traffic laws and ride with reduced risk by advancing your skills through training,”  said Col. Matthew C. Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol.

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