How Many People Die In Motorcycle Accidents?
How Many People Die in Motorcycle Accidents?
Car and motorcycle accidents are similar in many ways, but they do not have the same fatality rates. Cars are more common and have more registered vehicles than motorcycles. Motorcycles are more vulnerable to traffic collisions, as their higher injury rates can lead to serious injuries and even death. Motorcycles account for 3% of vehicles on the road but account for more than 5% of highway deaths. Motorcycles can be deadly, but wearing a helmet is an important safety precaution.
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57 percent of motorcyclists killed in traffic collisions were not wearing a helmet
Motorcycle riders are particularly susceptible to fatal crashes. Most are not wearing a helmet, and many are drunk. Nearly half of those killed in traffic collisions were not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash. In 2009, 205 motorcyclists aged 15 to 20 were killed, and the majority of those were not wearing a helmet.
In a study by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, researchers examined the worst motorcycle accidents to see how many people were wearing helmets. They found that non-helmeted bikers were twice as likely to sustain spinal injuries. Yet, many US states do not have universal helmet laws. This may be because authorities do not fully understand the benefits of a universal helmet law for bikers.
Multi-vehicle crashes are the leading cause of fatalities in motorcycle accidents
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly half of all fatal motorcycle crashes involve another vehicle. Approximately a third of these collisions are caused by another vehicle violating the right-of-way of the motorcycle. Motorcycle accidents also commonly result from the failure of a motorist to recognize and detect the motorcycle.
One major cause of these accidents is lane splitting. This is when a motorcycle travels between two lanes of stopped traffic. This practice reduces the motorcycle’s maneuvering room and creates a hazard for the other driver. In some states, lane splitting is legal.
Driver error is the leading cause of fatalities in motorcycle accidents
Most motorcycle accidents are caused by driver error, a factor that includes a wide range of things. While drunk or drugged driving is the most obvious reason, other causes include not paying attention to the road, speeding, fiddling with the radio, talking to passengers, or daydreaming. If you want to avoid motorcycle accidents and keep your safety, learn more about how to prevent them.
Motorcycles are more susceptible to crashes with cars and trucks than cars, so it’s important to drive carefully. A motorcycle’s steel frame is not as strong as a car’s, so it’s likely to be thrown hard into the path of another vehicle. Statistically, more than three-quarters of motorcycle accidents are single-vehicle accidents, while only 19 percent of car accidents involve one vehicle. Despite these statistics, nearly seventy percent of motorcycle accidents are the result of driver error.