One hundred seventy-two people died in motorcycle crashes in Missouri last year, a record high according to the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety. John Nelson with Mo-DOT says each of the last three years have seen “significantly higher” numbers of motorcycle deaths:
[mo9MDeaths1] :19
“Typically, in Missouri, we’ve been anywhere, you know, between 100 – 120 motorcyclist fatalities every year. Once the state repealed the all-rider helmet law back in 2020, we saw significant increases in 2021 – 2022, and then especially in 2023.”
Among those who died last year, 77 WERE wearing a helmet that complied with federal standards, while 11 were wearing some other type of helmet. Seventy-three were not wearing a helmet at all.