To date in 2026, Minnesota has experienced 26 motorcycle fatalities — a 117% increase over this time last year.

According to Mike Hanson, Director of the  Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety, “We have seen an alarming increase in motorcycle fatalities this year. While the causes vary, the solutions are clear: riders should slow down and continue their training—even experienced riders benefit from annual refresher courses. Drivers also need to stay alert and look twice when turning or merging.”

Both motorcycle riders and other motorists are responsible for sharing the road safely. While motorcycles are about as likely as cars to be involved in crashes, motorcyclists are almost three times more likely to be injured and five times more like to be killed in a crash.

There are several reasons for this but one of the main reasons is visibility. Motor vehicle drivers should expect to see motorcycles at any time, keeping in mind that a motorcycle’s headlight is on all the time. However, a motorcycle can also be easily hidden behind a car or truck so it’s important to check your mirrors and blind spots before merging or changing lanes.

Motorcyclists can help by making themselves as conspicuous as possible: not hiding in traffic, leaving a large space cushion and wearing brightly colored protective clothing. And, although it is not required by law, the EPPD encourages all motorcycle drivers and passengers to wear helmets.

As a reminder, lane splitting and lane filtering became legal in Minnesota last July. Lane splitting allows a motorcycle to pass another vehicle in the same direction of travel and in the same traffic lane at no more than 25 mph and at no more than 15 mph over the speed of traffic in relevant traffic lanes. Lane filtering allows motorcycles to move through traffic that is stopped, such as at a traffic light or traffic jam, at a speed no more than 15 miles per hour over the speed of traffic in the relevant traffic lanes.

If you ride a motorcycle and would like to learn more about safe motorcycle riding practices, consider taking a rider training course through the Minnesota Motorcycle Safety Center rider training program run by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Classes are offered throughout Minnesota, including Eden Prairie.