Arizona Motorcyclist Deaths Fell Again: 262 in 2023, 219 in 2024, 194 in 2025

Fewer motorcyclists are dying on Arizona roads: 262 riders and passengers were killed in 2023, 219 in 2024, and 194 in 2025, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT). That is a drop of roughly a quarter in two years — though motorcycle crashes themselves are still counted in the thousands.

The numbers, year by year

ADOT's 2024 Motor Vehicle Crash Facts report (Section 8, Motorcycle Crashes) records the 2023 and 2024 figures:

Measure	2023	2024	Change
Motorcycle crashes	3,158	3,036	down
Operator and passenger deaths	262	219	−16.41%
Operator and passenger injuries	2,620	2,503	−4.47%

For 2025, ADOT's August 27, 2026 release states: "There were 194 motorcyclist fatalities from crashes in 2025, which is an 11% decrease from 218 fatalities in 2024." The release gives 218 for 2024, one fewer than the 219 in the earlier annual report; ADOT notes elsewhere that figures can be revised as reporting is finalized, so we show both as published.

By our own arithmetic from ADOT's published figures, the drop from 262 deaths in 2023 to 194 in 2025 is 68 fewer deaths, or about 26%.

Crashes fell less than deaths

The pattern matters. Between 2023 and 2024, motorcycle crashes fell by 122 (about 3.9%) and injuries by 4.47%, while deaths fell 16.41%. In other words, the share of motorcycle crashes that ended in a death declined — roughly 8.3 deaths per 100 crashes in 2023 versus about 7.2 in 2024, by our calculation. ADOT's report does not attribute the decline to a single cause, and a two-year trend is not enough to say what drove it. Weather, riding season, traffic mix, and ordinary year-to-year variation can all move these numbers.

What Arizona law requires of riders

Arizona's helmet rule is narrower than many people assume. Under A.R.S. § 28-964, riders under 18 must wear a protective helmet at all times, while adult riders are not required to by that statute. ADOT's separate safety-device figures cover helmets and seatbelts together: its 2025 release reports 347 fatalities and 3,165 injuries in 2024 tied to failure to use a safety device, falling to 320 fatalities and 2,807 injuries in 2025. Those totals include motorists not wearing seatbelts, so they should not be read as motorcycle-only numbers.

How this fits the bigger picture

Motorcyclist deaths are one slice of a statewide decline. Total Arizona traffic deaths were 1,308 in 2023, 1,228 in 2024 (ADOT's 2024 Crash Facts), and 1,156 in 2025 (ADOT's release), the third annual decrease in a row. Our Arizona Crash Facts 2024 breakdown covers the 2024 statewide report, and our 2025 crash data analysis looks at which days and hours crashes cluster.

Methodology

Figures for 2023 and 2024 come from ADOT's 2024 Motor Vehicle Crash Facts (Table 1-1 and Section 8). Figures for 2025 come from ADOT's news release Traffic fatalities on Arizona roads decline for third year in a row. Helmet law text is from A.R.S. § 28-964 at azleg.gov. Percentages labeled "our calculation" are derived from ADOT's published counts. Crash records reflect police-reported crashes only, and ADOT may revise figures as reporting is finalized.