Is alcohol use among motorcyclists a problem?
Alcohol is a factor in many fatal crashes of motorcyclists, although less so than it is with passenger vehicle drivers. Twenty-seven percent of fatally injured motorcycle drivers in 2006 had BACs at or above 0.08 percent. By comparison, 33 percent of fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers had BACs at or above 0.08 percent in 2006. Alcohol is a bigger problem in single-vehicle crashes of motorcyclists. Forty-one percent of fatally injured motorcycle drivers involved in single-vehicle crashes in 2006 had BACs at or above the legal threshold for impairment, versus 48 percent for fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers. Alcohol was a factor in the fatal crashes of 20 percent of fatally injured supersport drivers and 22 percent of fatally injured sport and unclad sport riders in 2006. Impairment was a bigger factor in the fatal crashes of cruisers, standard bikes, and touring motorcycles, particularly among riders 30-49 years old. Thirty-three percent of fatally injured cruiser and sta
