Motorcycle deaths in WA are down. Here’s at least one reason why | Opinion
A sobering fact motivated Washington safety officials to change the way motorcyclists approach their ride. Between 2020 and 2024, motorcycles accounted for 3% of registered vehicles in the state, but their riders were involved in 16% of traffic fatalities.
Along with all other types of vehicles, fatal motorcycle crashes shot up after 2020. Traffic collisions between 2020 and 2024 caused 573 motorcycle rider deaths in the state, 83 of those in Pierce County.
It’s not hard to see why motorcyclists feature in a disproportionate number of fatal traffic collisions. Combine engine-powered speeds with a relative lack of protection from impact, and the math is straightforward and grim.
But it turns out, the risks motorcyclists face aren’t written in stone. The Washington Department of Licensing worked out a strategy to get motorcyclists to take skills courses in 2024 and saw a significant decline in fatal motorcycle crashes during the same year. Preliminary data shows the decline at least held in 2025.
The campaign showed targeted social media and banner ads to motorcycle riders in addition to sending postcards in the mail. A carefully crafted message led to a site that could help them find a nearby training course.
It was a positive approach that emphasized gaining more control of your motorcycle — and having more fun as a result. That’s an encouraging piece of news on a subject that’s often beyond depressing. Getting people to change their behavior on the road often seems to involve lecturing, fear-mongering and expensive tickets.
There are no fun, voluntary training courses I’m aware of that could take a bite out of problems like distracted and impaired driving. But it’s clear a deeper understanding of what motivates people to change can help.
An opportunity to learn more skills
Robert Willis at the Washington State Department of Licensing knew that motorcyclists could lower their risks of injury and death, even without the benefit of airbags, seatbelts and a steel frame to protect them. The department’s own data showed that lots of motorcyclists didn’t have much experience or training.
A large population of them got the lowest level of permitting required to ride a motorcycle, Willis said, which is only good for 180 days.
“When the sun comes up and it stops raining, they would go into the licensing office and take that written test and ride on a permit until it started raining again,” he said, “and then put their motorcycle in the garage and let their permit expire.”
The lack of training affects riders of all ages, Willis said. Recent data tends to show that more than 70% of fatal crashes involve riders over 30, and 50% involve riders over 45.
“Whether you’ve been riding for five days or 50 years, taking a training course just levels up your skill set,” Willis said.
To get a full motorcycle endorsement on your drivers’ license, you have to pass advanced driving test. It’s not easy. Training courses can help prepare motorcycle riders with instruction and administer the test. They focus on skills like braking techniques, taking corners and anticipating hazards. All things that can prevent crashes and falls.
Encouraging riders to take control
Willis’s agency partnered with a behavioral marketing firm in Seattle called C + C to come up with a strategy to motivate riders to go to skills courses. Paul Leonetti, an account director there, led research into what category of rider wasn’t already taking the courses.
That ruled out groups like motorcycle commuters, who have the highest rates of motorcycle endorsements. But through surveys and reading outside research, the firm identified two groups of riders who might not think of training as an important part of their safety.
Those were motorcyclists who love the thrill and speed of riding, and those who value the freedom and solitude they find on a motorcycle.
These findings shaped the messaging of a mail and online campaign. The result was an empowering message: Training increases your skill level and control over your own experience on a motorcycle.
“Level up your riding,” online ads on social media sites said, targeting motorcyclists in key demographics.
Clicking on the ads landed web users on a page for finding nearby training courses. The site got more than 100,000 visitors during the campaign, and more 9,000 people users on to explore the pages of training programs to learn more about courses. The site urges riders to “Ride safe. Ride on.”
Mailers with $100 vouchers for training courses also went out with the same message. The 200 available vouchers were claimed within two weeks, Willis said.
The social media campaign also included a partnership with Washington motorcyclist Gabrielle Collier, who used her Instagram account to spread the message that gaining motorcycle skills gives you more control.
Hopeful results
Overall, Washington saw a 10% increase in motorcycle riders enrolling in advanced and intermediate training courses, Willis said. The Department of Licensing also saw 4% of riders with only permits get their endorsement.
In May of last year, the Washington Traffic Safety Commission said motorcycle fatalities dropped to 110 in 2024, 24% lower than the highest ever 142 the year before. (The commission’s data dashboard now lists a slightly higher 113 deaths in 2024).
Preliminary data from the Washington State Department of Transportation shows 101 motorcycle fatalities in 2025, with 17 in Pierce County. It’s not as steep a decline as the state saw in 2024, but it is hopeful that the tide seems to have turned.
“We’re not certain our campaign has anything to do with that reduction,” Willis told me, “but we believe that a trained rider is a safer rider.”
This story was originally published January 16, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
