PHILADELPHIA, PA, October 21, 2025

Reading time: 5 min

A new SALURBAL study explores motorcycle-related fatalities in seven Latin American countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Panama. Across the 337 cities included in the study, the mortality rate was over 4 per 100,000 residents. The article, led by Ignacio Javier Yannone from the Universidad Nacional de Lanus in Argentina, sheds light on how the urban environment influences these fatal crashes and what urban planners and decision-makers can do about it.

• Motorcyclists are the fastest-growing road user group in Latin America, and account for a quarter of all road traffic collision deaths.
• In the cities studied, the death rate for motorcyclists was over 4 per 100,000 residents, with higher rates among men and the highest rate found in the 20-24 age group.
• Cities with denser populations, more connected streets, and better social conditions—such as higher education levels and access to sewage systems—tended to have fewer deaths among motorcyclists.
• Colombian and Brazilian cities had the highest rates of motorcyclist deaths per 100,000 people. This was the case even though both countries enforce mandatory helmet laws.

Motorcycle ownership continues to increase dramatically across Latin America, jumping more than 50%, from 3.7 million vehicles in 2012 to 5.6 million vehicles in 2023, becoming the fastest-growing road user group in the region. This vehicle provides increased mobility and access to employment opportunities, especially in cities with limited public transportation options, and it represents a fast and efficient alternative to traffic congestion. But along with those benefits, motorcycle-related deaths have increased and currently account for a quarter of all traffic collision-related deaths in Latin America.

A recent study led by the SALURBAL (Urban Health in Latin America) Project explored motorcycle related traffic deaths across 337 cities in seven countries: 33 cities in Argentina, 152 in Brazil, 21 in Chile, 35 in Colombia, 1 in Costa Rica, 92 in Mexico, and 3 in Panama. The authors explored associations between mortality rates from 2010 to 2019 and city characteristics, including urban landscape, street design, transportation, and population density. 

The research leveraged data from the multi-country SALURBAL initiative and included authors from the Universidad Nacional de Lanús in Argentina, the Universidad de los Andes in Colombia, the National Institute of Public Health in Mexico, Drexel University, the University of Washington, and the University of California, Berkeley, in the United States.

Across the cities studied, the death rate for motorcyclists was more than 4 per 100,000 residents. This problem disproportionately affects men, with the highest rate found among those aged 20 to 24. Colombia and Brazil report motorcyclist mortality rates that are higher than both the regional average for the Americas (3.6 per 100,000 in 2016) and the global average of 5.1 per 100,000.

Cities with higher population density, higher intersection density, and a higher social environment level had significantly lower rates of motorcyclist mortality, the study found. The authors assessed social environment levels using a combination of factors, including education levels, households connected to sewage and water networks, and overcrowding.

How can we create safer cities?

So, why are these results important? For one, cities with more intersections and people often have slower-moving traffic, thanks to more frequent stops and general congestion.  Understanding these local differences is crucial. It helps cities see exactly where to focus their efforts and resources to prevent motorcyclist deaths.

In areas with limited public transportation, motorcyclists often travel farther on roads with higher speeds and heavier traffic. These areas also tend to have less connected street networks, factors that are linked to an increase in traffic fatalities. Together with pedestrians and bicyclists, motorcyclists are among the most vulnerable road users, facing the highest risk of a collision per mile traveled.

The study suggests that city-level changes, informed by these findings, can work alongside other established solutions such as education and enforcement efforts. This combined approach can help create safer urban transportation for motorcyclists throughout the region. The results point to a potential public health benefit of compact, connected, and socially cohesive urban development strategies—traditionally promoted to encourage active mobility and public transit use—which may also contribute to reducing motorcycle-related fatalities. 

Efforts to reduce risk and prevent accidents can be better informed by improved understanding of these emerging mobility patterns and the public health risks associated with them. Evidence presented in this paper regarding fatal crash risk for motorcyclists and the ways urban and social environments can influence the risk highlights potential complementary strategies that can be employed. Better connecting streets and therefore slowing down motor vehicle traffic, creating more compact environments where good public transportation service is successful, and addressing basic infrastructure needs are promising ways to reducing motorcyclist deaths, and likely all road traffic deaths. 

Some cities have implemented citywide speed limits at 20 MPH (30 KMH), which can reduce road traffic deaths¹. One strategy with documented success is lowering speeds by design by implementing traffic calming measures, such as those suggested by the Global Designing Cities Initiative. 

“This research provides much-needed evidence to support public management and guide targeted interventions at the local level: improving road connectivity, creating safer and more cohesive urban environments, and reducing inequalities in infrastructure and services,” says lead author Dr. Ignacio Yannone of the Instituto de Salud Colectiva (Institute of Collective Health), Universidad Nacional de Lanús in Argentina. “We hope that this information will inform local government decision-making and contribute to improving road safety and protecting the lives of our motorcyclists, most of whom are young and have their whole lives ahead of them.”

The investigation serves as a reminder to prioritize higher population density, social environment improvements, and better mass transit systems to reduce the need for the use of motorized transit to begin with. The findings suggest that motorcyclist deaths were lower in cities with mass transit, such as bus rapid transit or intracity rail (e.g., subway). Other studies have found in Latin American cities that households often acquire motorcycles to decrease commuting times, but this can be moderated with access to rapid transit.

Where motorcycle registration data was available, the authors found that higher per capita motorcycle registrations were associated with significantly higher motorcyclist deaths. “By reducing the need for owning or using a motorcycle or, later, a passenger vehicle by a strong, rapid transit system, cities can reduce and prevent motorcyclist deaths,” says Alex Quistberg, PhD, of Drexel University’s Urban Health Collaborative, USA. 

There are also important differences in age and sex rates of motorcyclist deaths. Young adult males (20-35 years old) are particularly at risk. Fatality rates among young males were over seven times higher than those for females and other age groups. About this, Quitsberg comments: “Some cities and countries have created separate infrastructure for motorcyclists, with mixed outcomes. Based on our work and previous research, we believe it’s probably more important for cities to lower motor vehicle speeds than to create separate infrastructure dedicated to motorcyclists.” 

Although the study did not directly address motorcycle helmet laws or use, all of the countries included in the research have some form of helmet legislation; these requirements vary in coverage and enforcement, making cross-city and cross-country comparisons challenging. 

As motorcycle use continues to increase, including a spike during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, cities face real challenges from the growth in these modes, particularly as they mix with passenger and other heavier motor vehicles or use infrastructure for bicyclists and pedestrians. Recent growth emphasizes the need for cities to address motorcyclist safety, as well as related emerging micromobility modes such as e-scooters, e-bikes, and e-motorcycles. 
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 1. Other SALURBAL studies have evaluated the impact of new traffic regulations, specifically speed limits, on traffic accidents in Mexico City. To learn more, you can consult: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7614109/

This project was supported by the Wellcome Trust initiative Our Planet, Our Health (grant no. 205177/Z/16/Z). 

Photo credits: Alex Quistberg, PhD, Daniel Rodríguez, PhD.

Contact: Carolina Rendón, Communications Specialist - cr3283@drexel.edu