Motorcycles are one of the safest ways to travel when you count how often each type of vehicle crashes, according to a new study from Los Angeles-based Aghnami Law Group. Measured by average annual crashes per 100,000 registered vehicles, only trains and planes have lower crash rates than bikes.

The July 2026 study reviewed five years of crash data across seven transportation categories. For every 100,000 registered motorcycles, about 1,112 end up in a crash each year. That beats passenger cars at 1,980, buses at 4,808, large trucks at 5,708, and light trucks at 7,151, the latter of which posted the highest crash rate of any mode studied. Only trains, at 194 per 100,000, and planes, at 570, came in lower.

The bigger story in the data is how fast some of those crash numbers are climbing. Bus crashes have more than doubled over five years, up nearly 102%, the sharpest jump of any category. Large trucks are up about 28%, and light trucks are up about 28% as well. Trains rose roughly 18%. Passenger cars were the only group to improve, with total crashes down almost 4%.

Motorcycles did not escape the trend. Crashes involving bikes rose nearly 7% over the same five years. While it is one of the smaller increases on the list, it is still moving in the wrong direction. It’s a number that can be lowered through training, gear, everyday awareness, and improved decision-making.

One reminder rides along with the good news: a lower crash rate does not mean a safer outcome once metal meets pavement. A fender-bender that dents a car door can have much more serious consequences for a motorcyclist. Although riders crash less often, we have far less protection in the event of an accident.

A legal analyst from Aghnami Law Group put the findings this way:

“The crash trend that should keep drivers awake at night is not the one making headlines. Bus accidents have doubled in five years. Large trucks and light trucks are crashing nearly a third more often than they used to. Passenger cars are the only category where the numbers are heading down. Most drivers worry about the car next to them. The data says they should be watching the bus behind them and the semi in the next lane.”

For us, the takeaway is worth remembering the next time someone claims motorcycles are reckless. On a per-vehicle basis, bikes crash less than the cars, trucks, and buses sharing the road with them.

Crash rates by mode, ranked from lowest to highest:

Source: Aghnami Law Group, July 2026. The study combined fatal, injury, and property-damage-only crashes to reach the total number of incidents.