Motorcycle Safety Foundation Reports Increasing Interest in Riding Post-Pandemic

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As roadway traffic returns to pre-pandemic levels, the Automobile Club of Southern California and the Motorcycle Safety Foundation report that interest in motorcycling has increased as an efficient and socially-distanced means of transportation and recreation. Motorcycle and scooter sales saw an 11% increase compared to last year. Similarly, and despite physical distancing and capacity restrictions, rider training facilities across the country report teaching more motorcycle riders in 2020 than in 2019. Thus far in 2021, motorcycle training demand is far exceeding cycle training for the same period in 2020, with some training providers reporting the highest demand for instruction in a decade, according to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation.

“During the pandemic, many of us drove far less than in a typical year, and as we return to the road, our driving skills may be a little rusty,” said Auto Club spokesman Jeffrey Spring. “AAA encourages everyone on the road to keep their speeds down, cut out distractions, use their signals early and often, and double- even triple-check for motorcyclists when changing lanes.”

According to the California Office of Traffic Safety, there were 474 motorcycle fatalities in 2019. Tragically, the California Highway Patrol reports that even though motorcycles account for just three percent of all registered vehicles in the Golden State, motorcycle fatalities represent 15.1 percent of all highway fatalities.