What Are the Odds of Getting in a Motorcycle Accident?

The thrilling sense of freedom enjoyed by motorcycle riders is hard to describe to people who don’t ride. The love of motorcycling gets deep into your soul once you feel the warm sunlight and the cool wind as you cruise along a winding country road.

But motorcycle riding also presents a higher risk of injury than that faced by drivers and passengers in other vehicles. It’s a fact that all motorcycle riders hear about all the time from non-riders who seem to assume every rider is more reckless than other drivers.

As we explain here, many of the accidents that severely injure motorcyclists are caused by the negligence of other drivers.

The Clauson Law Firm has North Carolina’s premier motorcycle accident lawyers. We represent motorcyclists and passengers who suffer injuries in accidents of all types. We want to help you get the compensation you deserve. Let’s look at the real motorcycle crash numbers:

Motorcycle Crash and Fatality Statistics

• 4,985 motorcyclists died in bike accidents in 2018.
• In 2018, motorcyclists were 27 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die in a crash per vehicle miles traveled.
• In 2018, 14% of all motor vehicle accident deaths were motorcyclists
• Motorcycles account for only 3% of all registered motor vehicles in the US and represent only 0.6% of all vehicle miles traveled.
• Passenger car occupants suffer fatal injuries at a rate of 13 per 100,000.
• Motorcycle riders suffer fatal injuries at a rate of 72 per 100,000.

What causes motorcycle accidents?

Anyone of us driving any kind of motor vehicle can become involved in an accident. Sometimes the accident is someone else’s fault — sometimes it’s our fault. What is the cause of most motorcycle accidents? Other vehicle drivers are one of the most common causes of motorcycle accidents Lawyer. That’s right. It’s drivers of cars, vans, SUVs, trucks, and buses who often do something that results in a motorcycle collision.

• Vehicles turn left into the path of an oncoming motorcycle at an intersection.
• Other drivers follow too closely behind motorcycles.
• Cars and trucks change lanes without yielding to a motorcycle already in that lane.

Many of the mistakes described above are the result of one of two things:

• Failing to respect the motorcycle’s right of way.
• Inability to recognize or see the motorcycle.

Failing to yield to a motorcycle or not seeing the motorcycle is a result of the smaller size of the bikes compared with other vehicles. Obviously, unlike the wide front end of a car or a truck, each having two headlights, motorcycles are very thin when viewed at a distance from the front. Motorcycles usually ride with their headlights on during daylight and nighttime, but the light can be a bit obscured in bright sunlight, haze, or bad weather.

The failure to give proper respect to a motorcyclist who is entitled to the right-of-way is less understandable. Do drivers of other vehicles think the rules are different when it comes to bikes? Or do other drivers simply misjudge the speed at which a bike is traveling?

Predictably, the most common point of impact in motorcycle crashes is the front of the bike. But would you have guessed that the second most frequent point of impact is the rear end of the motorcycle? The hard numbers seem to suggest that other drivers’ insufficient road respect for bike riders and other drivers following too closely are significant problems.

Road Conditions

Motorcycles are subject to the same laws of physics as are other vehicles. Wet and icy roads can create conditions that reduce a driver’s control. Slowing down and maintaining one’s focus is a proper response.

But motorcycles face on-the-road challenges that other vehicles don’t have to deal with. In the autumn, fallen leaves on curves can compromise traction with the road. Sand and gravel likewise can cause a biker to lose control. Oil slicks that are unnoticeable for a car can send a motorcycle off the road.

Poor lighting conditions on many roads make negotiating unfamiliar turns more difficult, especially when oncoming traffic is also straining to see the road.

And don’t forget how many potholes, railroad track crossings, badly maintained bridge expansion joints, and other infrastructure failures can disrupt a motorcycle’s smooth operation while cars and trucks drive over them with little notice.

Which motorcyclists tend to crash more often?

One commonly believed myth among non-motorcyclists is that most fatal bike accidents involve younger, more impulsive riders. But the numbers show a very different picture:

• Motorcyclists age 50 and over is the group with the highest number of fatal crashes.
• Riders 30 years old and younger have the second-highest fatal crash frequency.

Why are older bike riders more likely to have deadly accidents? The reasons seem to be that reflexes become slower as we age, vision may be less sharp, and older bikers tend to ride larger, heavier bikes that are harder for older riders to handle.