In the last 10 years, more than 420 motorcycle riders and pillion passengers have lost their lives and more than 10 000 riders and pillions have been seriously injured on Victorian roads, representing 15% of all lives lost on the road and 17% of hospitalised claims over the last 10 years.
Motorcycles represent almost 4% of the number of registered vehicles in Victoria, and account for around 1% of vehicle kilometres travelled. Around 9% of Victorian licence holders hold a motorcycle licence.
As at June 2016, more than 410 thousand Victorians held a current Victorian motorcycle licence or permit. Of these licence holders:
- 88% were male
- 6% were aged 25 or less
- 70% were aged over 40
- 20% were aged over 60 (with 4% over 70)
- Just over half (53%) of motorcycle licence holders were active riders[1]
Within the motorcycle crash data pages you will find statistics for motorcyclist deaths in 2016 and claims involving hospital admissions for the year 2015/2016.
291 people lost their lives on Victoria's roads in 2016, of these, 56 were riders and passengers of motorcycles, representing 19% of the 2016 lives lost. This is the highest number of motorcyclist lives lost since 2002.
Of the 56 motorcyclists who lost their lives in 2016:
- ALL were male
- 71% of motorcyclist lives were lost in metro Victoria. 53% of these deaths occurred on roads with a speed limit of 60km or less
- 53% were involved in crashes between the hours of 10am and 6pm
- 46% of all motorcyclist lives were lost on roads sign posted at 100km/h or more
- 63% of rural crashes occurred on 100km/h roads
- 27% died in single vehicle crashes, 32% were involved in head on or overtaking crashes and 21% were involved in crashes with another vehicle at an intersection
*SOURCES:
[1] TAC Motorcycle Monitor 2016
Vehicle Kilometres travelled: BITRE State and Capital City vehicle kilometres travelled, 2009-2012
Motor Vehicle Census: ABS 9309.0 Motor Vehicle Census January 2016
