A sobering fact is prompting Washington safety officials to change the way motorcyclists ride. Motorcycles accounted for 3% of registered vehicles in the state between 2020 and 2024, but motorcycle riders were responsible for 16% of traffic fatalities.
As with all other types of vehicles, fatal motorcycle accidents surged after 2020. Traffic crashes killed 573 motorcycle riders in the state between 2020 and 2024, 83 of which occurred in Pierce County.
It’s easy to understand why motorcyclists are overrepresented in fatal traffic accidents. Combine engine-driven speed with the relative lack of impact protection, and the math is simple and grim.
But it turns out the risks motorcyclists face are not set in stone. Washington’s driver’s license department developed a strategy to require motorcyclists to take skills courses in 2024, the same year fatal motorcycle crashes dropped significantly. Preliminary data suggests the downward trend will continue until at least 2025.
In addition to mailing postcards, the campaign also reaches out to motorcycle riders with targeted social media and banner ads. A carefully crafted message points to a website that can help them find training courses near them.
It’s a proactive approach that emphasizes having better control of your motorcycle – and having more fun as a result. This is encouraging news for an often depressing topic. Getting people to change their behavior on the road often seems to involve preaching, fear-mongering and expensive tickets.
As far as I know, there are no interesting voluntary training courses that address issues like distraction and impaired driving. But it’s clear that a deeper understanding of people’s motivations for change would help.
Opportunities to learn more skills
Robert Willis of the Washington State Driver’s License Division knows that motorcyclists can reduce their risk of injury and death even without the protection of air bags, seat belts and steel frames. The department’s own data shows many motorcyclists don’t have much experience or training.
Willis said many of them have the minimum level of license required to ride a motorcycle, which is valid for only 180 days.
“When the sun comes up and the rain stops, they go to the license office, take the written test and ride with the license until it starts raining again,” he said, “and then put the motorcycle in the garage and let the license expire.”
Willis said a lack of training affects riders of all ages. Recent data tends to show that more than 70% of fatal crashes involve riders over the age of 30, and 50% involve riders over the age of 45.
“Whether you’ve been riding for five days or 50 years, taking a training course will improve your skills,” Willis said.
To obtain full motorcycle endorsement on your driver’s license, you must pass an advanced driving test. It’s not easy. Training courses can help motorcycle riders get ready and tested. They focus on skills such as braking technique, cornering and anticipating hazards. Anything to prevent bumps and falls.
Encourage riders to take control
Willis’ agency worked with a Seattle behavioral marketing firm called C+C to develop a strategy that would incentivize riders to take skills classes. Paul Leonetti, account director there, led a study into which categories of riders weren’t already taking these classes.
This excludes groups like motorcycle commuters, who have the highest motorcycle approval rates. But through research and reading outside research, the company discovered two groups of riders who may not view training as an important part of their safety.
These motorcyclists love the thrill and speed of riding and value the freedom and solitude found on a motorcycle.
These findings shape how messaging is delivered in emails and online campaigns. The result is a powerful message: Training can improve your skill level and increase your control over your motorcycle experience.
Online ads on social media sites target a key demographic of motorcyclists saying, “Upgrade your riding”.
Clicking on the ad takes web users to a page to find nearby training courses. During the event, the website attracted more than 100,000 visitors, with more than 9,000 users browsing the training program pages to learn more about the courses. The website urges riders to “ride safe. Keep riding.”
The mailer carrying a $100 training course voucher sent the same message. Willis said the 200 available coupons were claimed within two weeks.
The social media campaign also includes a collaboration with Washington motorcycle rider Gabrielle Collier, who uses her Instagram account to spread the message that gaining motorcycle skills gives you more control.
promising results
Willis said overall, Washington state has seen a 10 percent increase in the number of motorcycle riders taking advanced and intermediate training courses. The Licensing Department also found that only 4% of riders with a license were endorsed.
Last May, the Washington Transportation Safety Board said the number of motorcycle fatalities would drop to 110 in 2024, a 24% decrease from the previous year’s high of 142. (The commission’s data dashboard now lists the 2024 death toll at just over 113).
Preliminary data from the Washington State Department of Transportation shows that there will be 101 motorcycle deaths in 2025, 17 of them in Pierce County. While the decline isn’t as severe as what the state will see in 2024, the trend appears to have reversed, which is promising.
“We’re not sure what our campaign has to do with this reduction,” Willis told me, “but we believe that trained riders are safer riders.”