A 28-year-old Staff Sergeant assigned to Fort Drum, New York, died in a PMV-2 mishap 22 September 2023 in Pamelia, New York, at 2050 local. The Soldier was riding at a high rate of speed when he lost control, exited the roadway and struck a road sign. He was ejected from his bike and came to rest in a field adjacent to the highway. A bystander notified 911. The New York State Police (NYSP) responded, and life-saving measures were administered but unsuccessful. The Soldier reportedly was wearing the required personal protective equipment and completed the Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s Basic RiderCourse in October 2018. The involvement of alcohol is currently unknown. The unit/safety points of contact are waiting for NYSP to release its final report.
Since FY18, the Army has lost an average of 24 Soldiers a year to PMV-2 mishaps. This mishap was the 37th PMV-2 fatality of FY23 and above the number of fatalities for the same time period last year.
Safety tip
Crash Characteristics
Information about the environment surrounding the motorcyclist fatalities in 2021 included land use, motorcyclist location, light condition, weather and functional system. In 2021 (based on known values):
- 67 percent of the motorcycle fatalities occurred in urban areas compared to 33 percent in rural areas.
- 65 percent occurred at locations that were not intersections compared to 35 percent at intersections.
- 97 percent occurred in clear/cloudy conditions compared to 2 percent in rain conditions and 1 percent in snow/sleet, fog or other conditions.
- 57 percent occurred during daylight compared to 39 percent in the dark, 4 percent during dusk and 1 percent during dawn.
- 92 percent occurred on non-interstate roads compared to 8 percent on interstates.
NHTSA Key Findings
- In 2021 there were 5,932 motorcyclists killed, 14 percent of all traffic fatalities. This is the highest number of motorcyclists killed since FARS started data collection in 1975.
- The number of motorcyclist fatalities in 2021 increased by 8 percent from 2020.
- 36 percent of motorcycle riders involved in fatal crashes in 2021 were riding without valid motorcycle licenses.
- Motorcycle riders killed in traffic crashes at night were three times more frequently found to be alcohol-impaired than those killed during the day (42% and 16%) in 2021.
- 33 percent of all motorcycle riders involved in fatal crashes in 2021 were speeding, compared to 22 percent for passenger car drivers, 15 percent for light-truck drivers, and 7 percent for large-truck drivers.
- Motorcycles were more frequently involved in fatal collisions with fixed objects than other vehicle types. Twenty-four percent of motorcycles involved in fatal crashes in 2021 collided with fixed objects, compared to 17 percent for passenger cars, 12 percent for light trucks and 4 percent for large trucks.
Tips provide by NHTSA
2021 Data: Motorcycles (dot.gov)