Motorcycle Accident Facts You Need To Know In Texas

On behalf of Lovett Law Firm posted in Motorcycle Accidents on Monday, April 27, 2015.

Updated in March 2015, the Insurance Information Institute’s records on motorcycle crashes show just how dangerous riding a motorcycle can be. Motorcyclists are at a higher risk than others on the road, which is why it’s always important for you to know the updates about the number of motorcyclists injured or killed each year. With this information, you can make better decisions about where and when to ride, and you can see if new legislation is making a difference for rider safety.

The III has shown in reports from 2013 that 88,000 motorcyclists were injured that year. That was a drop of 5.4 percent from 2012, a good sign that more people are becoming aware of motorcyclists and that motorcycle-centric laws are having an effect. While many states do not require helmets to be worn by adults, in the past few years, laws have been rolled out to require younger riders to wear this safety gear; this could be part of the reason for the drop in injuries and deaths.

In 2012, there were around 8.5 million motorcyclists on the road. Almost 5,000 of those people were killed in motorcycle accidents. In 2013, that number dropped by 6.4 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Despite the drop, motorcyclists are still 26 times more likely to be killed in a crash than those in a passenger vehicle. This is partially to do with the motorcyclist’s lack of safety gear and protection, since there is no metal body or frame around the rider.

Interestingly, it’s older motorcyclists who account for the majority of fatalities. The NHTSA showed that 56 percent of the motorcyclists killed in accidents in 2012 were over the age of 40. The average age of death for these motorcyclists was 43.

Source: iii.org, “Motorcycle Crashes,” accessed April. 27, 2015