Motorcycle accident statistics
June 09, 2015On behalf of Terence Gross of Gross & Schuster, P.A. posted in Motorcycle Accidents on Friday, February 13, 2015.
In Florida and across the country, motorcycle riders are at a greater risk of being seriously injured or killed in a highway accident than car drivers are. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the chance that a motorcyclist will be killed in a crash is 26 times that of a passenger car occupant. Motorcyclists are also five times more likely to sustain injuries in an accident than passenger car occupants.
Although motorcycle riding has become increasingly popular in recent years, the annual number of fatal motorcycle crashes is actually decreasing. In 2013, there were 4,668 people killed in motorcycle accidents, while there were 4,986 motorcycle fatalities in 2012. This represents a 6.4 percent decrease in fatal motorcycle accidents. Injuries sustained by motorcycle riders also decreased by 5.4 percent during the same time period.
Certain types of motorcycles and certain behaviors by motorcycle riders can increase the likelihood of a fatal accident. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety issued a report in 2007 that demonstrated how drivers of “super sports” motorcycles were four times more likely to be killed in a crash than people driving other kinds of motorcycles. Motorcyclists who do not wear a helmet, ride their motorcycle while they are intoxicated or ride at high speeds also increase their likelihood of being involved in a fatal crash.
Even if a motorcyclist takes every precaution while using the road, a motorcycle crash can be caused by a car driver’s failure to notice the motorcycle or provide the motorcycle with adequate following distance. A motorcyclist who has been injured due to a car driver’s negligence might want to talk to a lawyer about filing a personal injury claim.
Source: Insurance Information Institute, “Motorcycle Crashes,” Accessed Feb. 13, 2015
