Motorcycle wrecks fall into a separate, frequently more devastating category when compared to car accidents. The dangers associated with riding a bike, the causes of motorcycle accidents, the injuries inflicted, and liability concerns make motorcycle accidents distinct from auto accidents despite certain similarities.
Motorcycles are intrinsically riskier than other vehicles because they only have two wheels, don’t have airbags or seatbelts, and are smaller. Additionally, motorcycles lack metal-enclosed and -shielded protection. Compared to automobile drivers, some of the most significant risks motorbike riders face are less vision, unstable terrain, and road hazards like debris, pebbles, and mud. Motorcycle collisions are more challenging to resolve than car collisions and frequently include injuries.
How Motorcycle Accidents Differ From Car Accidents
Motorcycle accidents tend to be more severe, expensive, and upsetting. Some significant differences include:
- Due to their fragility on the road, motorbike riders frequently experience more severe and long-lasting injuries.
- After suffering a persistent spinal cord or brain injury, motorcyclists might require additional long-term financial assistance to cover the cost of medical care.
- Motorcycle accident victims may face additional difficulties in court from jurors who believe bikers are inherently “reckless” or dangerous.
- Many motorbike accident victims demand additional compensation for lost future wages and medical costs.
- Unfortunately, wrongful death of motorcycle riders and their passengers happens frequently in motorcycle accidents.
Statistics Comparing Car And Motorcycle Accidents
Statistics On Motorbike Accidents
Motorcycle accident studies and statistics have shown:
- About 30 times as many people die in motorbike crashes as in automobile crashes.
- Motorcyclists over 40 are almost 20 times more likely to be injured in an accident.
- Motorbike riders under 40 have a roughly 36-fold higher risk of dying in an accident than drivers of the same age.
- 80 percent of the time, motorbike accidents result in injury or death.
- Motorcycles make up about 2% of all registered cars, yet they account for about 5% of all traffic deaths.
Statistics On Car Accidents
Studies and statistics on car accidents are different from those on motorcycle accidents. There are still a lot of victims of car accidents who have been hurt or killed. Here are some ominous figures:
- According to the Department of Transportation, a driver will experience a near call at least once or twice a month and will be, on average, in a car accident every six years.
- Nationwide, there were 39,189 fatal car accidents in a recent year. This total includes 10,036 passengers and 27,472 drivers who suffered fatal injuries.
- According to the National Safety Council, over 20 million vehicles are involved in over 12 million motor vehicle accidents yearly.
- According to statistics, car accidents result in more than 2 million permanently disabled people yearly.
- According to studies, up to 75% of people who suffer injuries in auto accidents continue to experience symptoms six months after the collision.
- A National Highway Traffic Administration study found that over 28% of motor vehicle accident victims have minor to serious injuries, and roughly 6% suffer severe or fatal injuries.
Not all automobile accident lawyers accept motorcycle collision claims, even though most lawyers also handle vehicle accident cases. Motorcycle cases are typically more complicated and might be more challenging to resolve effectively than regular automobile crash claims due to varied two-wheelers insurance regulations and other complicating considerations. If you have been involved in a motorbike accident, seek a personal injury attorney with expertise in defending riders and drivers.
Tips For Safe Motorcycling
While there will continue to be car and motorbike accidents, certain things can be done to lessen the number of injuries and fatalities resulting from motorcycle accidents. Due to their small size compared to other cars on the road, motorcycles are sometimes overlooked by other motorists until it is too late to avoid motorcycle accidents. Riders should always wear a helmet and dress in bright colors or leather for protection. Riders should think about donning safety eyewear if their helmet lacks face protection. Additionally, motorbike riders should try to avoid riding at night as much as possible because it makes it harder for other motorists to notice them and raises the danger of an accident.
Safety Tips For Motorcycle Riding
Following are some safety suggestions.
- Wear A Helmet – Your body and your legal rights can both be protected by wearing a helmet. While a correctly fitted helmet won’t guarantee 100% damage prevention, it will safeguard your head, face, and eyes. The leading cause of fatality for motorbike riders is head injuries. Additionally, if you were wearing a helmet at the time of the collision, proving your accident claim and the injuries you had might be more straightforward.
- Choose The Proper Gear – You can help prevent slipping on asphalt or other road hazards like small rocks by wearing leather and other armored or specialized motorcycle gear. In addition, wearing motorcycle boots is a brilliant idea to shield your feet from the engine’s heat and the asphalt in the event of a collision. You can make yourself more visible to other drivers on the road by wearing bright colors or reflective materials.
- Utilising Your Skills – Always ride within your degree of ability. If you are incapable, avoid attempting to drive quickly or in traffic.
- Leave Plenty Of Room – Motorcycles may require less space to stop and turn than cars, but they need more space than you imagine. To know how much room to allow yourself in traffic and leave a generous following distance between yourself and the car in front of you, practice stopping on your bike in a safe area.
- Stop Being Distracted – Distracted driving is never a good idea, but when riding a bike, it is even worse. Your reaction time will be slower if you fumble with your phone, increasing the likelihood of an accident.
- Look Twice – Ride defensively and bear responsibility for your safety when around cars. Never assume the driver sees you.
- Observe The Weather – Motorcycling is significantly risky in the wet since they are less stable than cars. You only have half the traction of a vehicle on two wheels. Additionally, you risk losing vision if you don’t have windscreen wipers.
Common Injuries In Motorcycle-Car Collisions
There are several typical injuries from motorbike and car accidents, albeit their severity varies. Some are minor and will disappear in a few days, while others are more serious and could leave you disabled. Lacerations, shattered bones, spine, back, and neck injuries, internal injuries, and concussions or traumatic brain damage are risks in both incidents. It’s vital to remember that, unlike motorcycles, cars have additional safety features, including enclosures, airbags, and seatbelts for accident victims. In addition, a biker is approximately 26 times more likely to die in a collision and 5 times more likely to sustain injuries than a passenger in a car.
Although some injuries are specific to motorcycle accidents, injuries frequently resemble those from car accidents. For instance, motorbike accidents can result in road burns or road rash. This injury includes motorbike riders dragging down the tarmac at high speed due to an accident and sustaining friction burns that rip away skin and tissue. Another uncommon motorcycle injury is known as “biker’s arm,” which occurs when a motorcyclist absorbs the force of a collision with another vehicle and suffers severe damage to the bones and tissue of their arm.
Look For A Skilled Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
A motorcycle accident lawyer can assist you in obtaining the compensation you are entitled to if you or a loved one was involved in a motorcycle accident and suffered severe physical or mental damage. Many motorbike accident victims are rendered permanently unable to work or incapacitated.
