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Motorcycle crash data

In the last five years almost 200 motorcycle riders and pillion passengers have been killed on Victorian roads.

  • 96% were male
  • 57% were aged over 40
  • 20% were aged over 60
  • 57% are killed in Metro Melbourne
  • 38% crash on roads with a speed limit of 60km/h or lower. Of these:
    • 64% involve another vehicle
    • 44% occur at intersections
    • 76% occur in Metro Melbourne
  • 35% crash on roads with a speed limit of 100km/h or higher. Of these:
    • 52% are single vehicle crashes
    • 28% are head on/overtaking crashes
    • 78% are in Regional Victoria

The majority of motorcycle deaths on high speed roads are single vehicle crashes. In 60kmh zones crashes are likely to happen at intersections.

Motorcycle rider crash location data

In the last five years, just over four in ten (43%) motorcycle rider fatalities occurred in Regional Victoria, while only 24% of the Victorian population live in Regional Victoria.

In the last 5 years motorcycle rider deaths were more likely to be in Melbourne.

Motorcycle rider age group and sex data

Over the last five years, an average of around forty motorcycle riders are killed each year with a further 1,250 motorcycle riders compensated by the TAC for injuries involving an acute hospital admission.

  • 96% of killed riders are male
  • 91% of injured riders are male

While 35% of active riders are aged over 40, close to half of all riders injured are aged 40+ (48%) and close to six in ten riders killed are aged 40+ (57%).

2017-2021

Age groupLives lost
female		Claims involving hospital admisison*
female		Lives lost
male		Claims involving hospital admission*
male
0-17012277
18-252108201,145
26-391158581,727
40-594230692,148
60+13938601
Total85471875,698

Motorcycle licence holders

Motorcycles represent almost 4% of the number of registered vehicles in Victoria1, and account for around 1% of vehicle kilometres travelled2. Around 10% of Victorian licence holders hold a motorcycle licence or permit.

As at March 2021, more than 445,000 Victorians held a current Victorian motorcycle licence or permit. Of these licence holders:

  • 87% were male
  • 3% were aged 24 or less
  • 73% were aged over 40
  • 25% were aged over 60

Just over half (53%) of motorcycle licence holders were active riders3. Active riders are more likely to:

  • be younger (65% aged under 40)
  • live outside major urban centres4 (57% compared to 50% in major cities).

*SOURCES:

[1]https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/industry/tourism-and-transport/motor-vehicle-census-australia/latest-release

[2]https://www.bitre.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/bitre_aus_infrastructure_yearbook_2020.pdf Table T3.3b page 85

[3] TAC Motorcycle Monitor 2021

[4] A Major Urban Centre is an area with a population greater than 100,000 and includes Melbourne, Geelong, Ballarat.