Deadly Motorcycle Accidents in Denver on the Rise
Across Colorado we have seen a significant increase in deadly motorcycle accidents. Nowhere has this been more evident than in Denver, where the rate of deadly motorcycle accidents has doubled in recent years.
The increase is obvious, but less obvious is the reason for the increase. There have been many possible explanations put forward. Some people propose that warmer weather is leading to a longer riding season. Others say that there are just more motorcycles on the road. While there’s an element of truth to both these explanations, probably the biggest factor is an increase in aggressive and reckless driving.
Motorcycle Deaths on the Rise
In recent years, the number of people killed in motorcycle accidents in Denver has spiked dramatically. These figures and all motorcycle statistics come from the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), unless otherwise noted.
During 2010-2018, the total number of motorcycle accident deaths in Denver was 55, an average of just over six per year.
However, since then, the number of motorcycle accident deaths has been nearly double:
- Deaths in 2019: 12
- Deaths in 2020: 10
- Deaths in 2021: 13
- Deaths in 2022: 11
- Deaths in 2023: 6
- Deaths in 2024: 19
For an average of nearly 12 per year! 2024 had a record number of motorcycle accident deaths in Denver.
This reflects the overall trend in motorcycle deaths across the state. However, it is significantly amplified. During 2010-2018, the average number of motorcycle deaths around Colorado was 95 per year. This increased to an average of 133 per year in recent years. While this is a significant 40% increase, it is not nearly as severe as the almost doubling of motorcycle deaths in the city of Denver.
(Note: Some sources cite up to 21 deadly motorcycle crashes in Denver in 2024. We are using the figures from CDOT so that all our numbers come from the same verified source.)
Potential Causes for the Increase
With the obvious increase in motorcycle accident fatalities across the state and especially in the city of Denver, people are struggling to find explanations.
Among the most common explanations are that warmer weather is leading to a longer riding season or that there are simply more motorcycles on the road. However, looking at the statistics shows that neither of these are plausible explanations. The most likely explanation based on the CDOT data is that drivers are becoming more reckless and aggressive.
Accidents Shift with Riding Season
Many people propose that the increasing temperatures across Colorado (about 2.3° F from 1980 to 2022) has led to a longer riding season. This would mean more people starting to ride their motorcycles earlier and continuing to ride their bikes later in the year. As a result, the number of motorcycle accidents would increase, even if the rate per day stayed the same. The motorcycle accident distribution would also change substantially, with more of the accidents happening in the spring and fall, as opposed to the summer.
However, CDOT data doesn’t show that this is happening. Here’s the seasonal breakdown of motorcycle accident deaths in Denver for the two periods:
- 2010-2018: Winter: 7 (13%) Spring: 17 (31%), Summer 19 (40%), Fall: 12 (22%)
- 2019-2024: Winter: 2 (4%) Spring: 17 (24%) Summer: 27 (38%), Fall: 25 (35%)
Although there is a slight shift in the relative share of accidents in fall and spring, which might be related to climate change, the summer still accounts for about the same proportion of all motorcycle accident deaths.
More Motorcycle Registrations
Another explanation that people propose to account for the increase in motorcycle accident deaths in Denver is that there are simply more motorcycles on the road. If there are more motorcycles, then there are simply going to be more motorcycle accidents, including more fatal motorcycle accidents.
Although there is some truth to this explanation, it simply doesn’t account for the dramatic increase we’ve seen. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), motorcycle registrations have indeed increased in Colorado, from 173,000 in 2010 to 190,000 in 2019 and 203,000 in 2023. However, this increase simply can’t account for the dramatic uptick in deadly motorcycle accidents. The increase from 2010 to 2019 is only a 10% increase, and the total number of motorcycles only increased by 17% from 2010 to 2023. Nowhere near the doubling of motorcycle accident deaths.
This could be a partial explanation, but it is unlikely the only or even the most important one.
Drivers Getting More Dangerous
Unfortunately, the explanation that seems most likely to account for the dramatic increase in motorcycle accident deaths in Denver is that drivers are getting more reckless and more aggressive, making the roads more dangerous for everyone, but especially for motorcyclists.
Although it’s hard to get at the true cause of a motorcycle accident (that’s why reconstruction experts are so important), the CDOT data can give us some clues. The data lists driver actions and driver contributing factors for each accident. This gives us a sense of how drivers in Denver are changing. Below is how frequently each of the factors was associated with an accident as a proportion of the number of motorcycle accident deaths:
- 2010-2018: Careless driving: 33%, Reckless driving: 16%, Aggressive Driving: 33%
- 2019-2024: Careless driving: 30%, Reckless driving: 24%, Aggressive driving: 46%
Although the rate of careless driving remains about the same, there is a 50% increase in both reckless driving and aggressive driving. Although this doesn’t fully explain the uptick in motorcycle accident deaths in Denver, it comes closer than either of the other proposed explanations.
We Can Help If You Lost a Loved One in a Denver Motorcycle Accident
Have you lost a loved one in a fatal motorcycle accident? Nothing can bring them back, but at least we can make sure that you don’t have to suffer the financial consequences of another driver’s reckless or aggressive driving. You can get compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, funeral costs and more.
Brian Pushchak is a dedicated Denver motorcycle accident lawyer. Motorcycle accidents are a primary focus of his practice, and he has extensive experience and expertise in handling these cases.
In addition to our experience with motorcycle accidents, when you work with Pushchak Law, you will benefit from our exclusive Informed Decisions™ approach. We start by taking the time to know you and understand what matters most to you about your case. Then we will design an approach that meets your specific needs. In addition, we will give you our personal contact information, so you can get ahold of us whenever you have questions about your case. We put our expertise at your service to help you make the right decisions, but you will still make all the decisions. It remains your case, always. We know that you’re looking to get what’s fair in the wake of something terrible, and we want it to be done in a way that you will feel good about after the fact.
To learn how Pushchak Law can help you, please contact us today for a free consultation. We serve clients in Denver and the surrounding areas.
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