A motorcycle rider takes a turn with too much speed and ends up losing control. Luckily the motorcyclist only suffered a fractured collarbone, along with a few scratches.
Looks like somebody got a little too freaked out passing that “Left Lane Ends” warning sign at about 80 miles an hour and over corrected juuuuuuust a wee bit too far to the right. “An’ another one rides the bus, hey, hey!!!…”, well, at least until his arm finishes its stint in the sling… 😀
Did you know, however, that statistically motorcycle accidents are rarely the fault of the motorcyclist? This is due to a number of factors, including inattention by other drivers.
Recent reports by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show that the likelihood of injury after a motorcycle accident is extremely high: 98% of the multiple vehicle collisions and 96% of single vehicle accidents resulted in some level of injury for the motorcyclist. Motorcycle accidents involve some of the worst injuries suffered on the road – and despite an overall decline in motorcycle fatalities since reaching a record high of 82 in 2006, there were 70 fatal motorcycle accidents in Washington State in 2011. Unfortunately, motorcycle riders pay a heavy price for the inattention of other motorists. They typically suffer more profound injuries than do those in cars and trucks. Motorcycle passenger injuries have increased at an alarming rate of nearly 15% yearly.
Motorcycle accidents and fatalities are increasing each year.
Motorcycle riders are in a vulnerable position when on the road, and must be aware of their rights if they are involved in an accident.
Motorcycle accidents can have life-changing consequences for victims and their families, and legal action is often the only means possible for accident victims to secure compensation and justice. In 2010, over 4500 motorcycle accidents resulted in fatalities Close to half of all motorcycle accidents do not involve another vehicle. Instead, speeding was the main contribution. Of the other half of motorcycle accidents which involve another vehicle, speeding is one of the leading factors of accidents as well.
Motorcycle accident injuries
Head injury, including traumatic brain injury, is the leading cause of death and disability in motorcycle accidents, according to the Oklahoma State Department of Health. Although wearing a helmet can reduce motorcycle accident deaths by 29 to 35 percent and the incidence of head injuries even more, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, many states do not require the use of helmets. Although many avid motorcyclists fight against laws requiring helmets citing their need for independence, studies on helmet laws, motorcycle accidents and the resulting cost of medical care consistently find that wearing a helmet lowers the probability of sustaining a head injury, as reported by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Motorcycle accident avoidance tip
When traffic is suddenly stopping or slowing down dramatically on a highway or interstate, ride in between the cars, even if your area does not allow lane-splitting. Cars coming up behind you may not have seen the slowdown or stoppage and slam into the rear of the traffic.
Motorcycle accidents DUI
The perfect recipe for disaster on a motorcycle is to get drunk and speed through traffic with no helmet on. Although this might be comically obvious, it’s also a sad reality. That’s because, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, alcohol and speeding are leading causes of motorcycle fatalities. Breaking it down, 37 percent of fatalities happen to riders with alcohol in their systems, 35 percent involve speeding, and 42 percent occur to riders not wearing a helmet. Furthermore, 54 percent of fatal motorcycle accidents involve another vehicle.
