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May 1, 2025 - While the overall motor vehicle fatality rate has dropped, the number of motorcyclists killed on Louisiana roads has risen the last few years, according to the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, which announced that May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month.
Warmer weather in May means more motorcyclists are on the road. LHSC is asking all drivers to help Louisiana’s motorcycling community have safe rides, Executive Director Lisa Freeman said.
“From 2021 to 2023, we saw a 16.5% decrease in the overall number of fatalities on our roads,” Freeman said. “During that same period, there was a 12.8% increase in the number of motorcyclists who were killed.”
In 2023, 97 motorcyclists died in crashes in Louisiana, according to the Center for Analytics and Research in Transportation Safety at LSU. That represented 15.4% of all fatalities in Louisiana, nearly matching 2016’s 15.5% record level, the records show.
Motorcycles are smaller than cars and trucks and are harder to see on the road, making them more likely than other vehicles to be involved in a crash. Freeman called on all drivers to watch for motorcycles, especially when changing lanes, making left-hand turns, and entering a road from a driveway.
“We have to do more to protect our most vulnerable road users, and that includes motorcycle drivers,” Freeman said. “Drivers of cars and trucks should always look for a motorcycle and remember that motorcyclists have the same rights of the road as any other motorist.”
When turning at an intersection with an obstructed view of oncoming traffic, drivers should be patient and scan for all road users, including motorcyclists, Freeman said. When driving behind a motorcycle, drivers should leave plenty of space so the motorcyclist can make an emergency stop or maneuver around hazards.
Motorcyclists also have responsibilities on the road and must obey all traffic laws, including our state mandate that motorcycle drivers and passengers always wear a helmet.
Louisiana State Police offers a motorcycle safety course for all riders from beginner to advanced levels. For more information, go to https://lsp.org/services/training/motorcycle-safety/.
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