Riding a motorcycle puts the rider at more risk than all other vehicles. This doesn’t mean that people riding motorcycles are poor drivers or somehow it’s their fault they were hurt. People can point back and forth as to the cause of the wreck, but it’s not who caused the wreck as much as can the motorcyclist survive it? One of the main reasons motorcyclists are killed in crashes is because the motorcycle itself provides virtually no protection in a crash. For example, approximately 80 percent of reported motorcycle crashes result in injury or death; a comparable figure for automobiles is about 20 percent. NHTSA data from 2007 reveals that there are over four million motorcycles registered in the United States. Motorcycle fatalities represent approximately five percent of all highway fatalities each year, yet motorcycles represent just two percent of all registered vehicles in the United States.
Statistics show that a motorcyclist is not only more likely to be injured but is more likely to die. According to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2006, 13.10 cars out of 100,000 ended up in fatal crashes. The rate for motorcycles is 72.34 per 100,000 registered motorcycles. It doesn’t end at just a blanket statistic on death in general. Motorcycles also have a higher fatality rate per unit of distance travelled when compared with automobiles. Per vehicle mile traveled, motorcyclists’ risk of a fatal crash is 35 times greater than a passenger car.
A collision between a motorcyclist and any other vehicle, the motorcyclist will lose. On July 08, 2016 a SUV was pulling into a shopping center when it hit a motorcyclist who was leaving the parking lot. The motorcyclist died at the scene. The driver of the SUV lived.
Road rage on September 23, 2016 between a motorcyclist and a SUV lead to the motorcyclist’s death. The driver of the SUV lived.
On October 11, 2016 a collision between a motorcycle and a commercial vehicle resulted in the death of the motorcyclist. The driver of the commercial vehicle lived.
If you or someone you know has been injured while riding a motorcycle, contact an attorney at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner by calling (713) 222-7211 or toll free at 713-222-7211.
http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/pedbimot/motorcycle/motosafety.html
https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/810990
http://abc13.com/traffic/possible-road-rage-incident-turns-deadly/1523461/