In recent years motorcycle riding has become extremely popular.  In 2006 sales of motorcycles in the United States totaled about 1, 116,000.   Motorcycles are by their nature far less crashworthy than closed vehicles.  They are also less visible to other drivers and pedestrians and less stable than four-wheel vehicles. In addition, operating a motorcycle requires a different combination of mental and physical skills than those used in driving four-wheel vehicles.

In 2006, according to the estimates from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 4,553 motorcyclists died in crashes.  Although motorcycle-related fatalities cannot be attributed to a single cause, observations from the National Center for Statistics and Analysis point to key issues of safety concern for motorcyclists which include untrained riders and improper head gear.