Motorcycle death rate rises on roads

Motorcycles can be loud -- if not ear-splitting -- yet car drivers don’t see them as clearly as they hear them. That’s one reason motorcyclists have a high death rate on America’s roads. They account for only 2 per cent of all vehicles but 10 per cent of all fatalities. Clearly, motorcyclists represent a disproportionate number of traffic deaths in America, and all too often such motorcycle fatalities are not the fault of the cyclist.

Those deaths are rising as riding increases. Motorcycling never has been more popular, including many baby boomers who have hit highways on their Harley, Honda or other two-wheeler. As motorcycling has grown, deaths on such vehicles have almost doubled in the past decade – at a time when deaths in cars or trucks were declining. As many as 4,800 motorcyclists are killed and 76,000 injured annually in the United States.

Most of those accidents involve a car driver not seeing or noting a motorcycle. In two-thirds of such accidents, a car driver fails to yield right of way to a motorcycle, often at an intersection. Alcohol also is a significant contributor.

Motorcycles are harder to see

Many other causes can arise, but mechanical failure, road defects and weather rarely have impact. Mostly it’s the smaller size of a motorcycle which fails to put it on the radar of many drivers. Even when looking before a turn or lane change, car drivers may glance for cars or trucks yet fail to notice a smaller motorcycle also in their field of vision.

Motorcycle accidents can be deadly despite the fact that the average speed at the time of an accident is less than 30 mph and most accidents involve short trips. Yet even at moderate speeds and close to home, more than 80 per cent of all reported motorcycle accidents involve injury or death.

Motorcycles are vulnerable

Motorcyclists can be at fault, too, often because they’re inexperienced on the less stable two-wheelers and fail to heed their vehicle’s limitations.

Such drivers and their riders are particularly exposed. With no door, roof, safety belts or airbags, they are 32 times more likely than those in passenger cars to die in a crash with other vehicles.

Helmets help – but only if worn

But motorcyclists have a protection which you wouldn’t expect for a car driver: safety helmets.

Head injury is the top cause of death in a traffic accident involving a motorcycle. Of those killed on motorcycles, 42 per cent were not wearing a safety helmet. Wearing one reduces such risk by 29 per cent.

That doesn’t mean head injuries are declining. It’s the opposite. Many states have relaxed mandatory helmet laws at the urging of cycle enthusiasts, for whom such bikes exemplify personal freedom. From a high of 47 states, only 20 still have mandatory helmet laws. States relaxing such laws include Texas, which allows drivers 21 and older to go without helmets if they’ve passed a safety class or have a certain level of insurance.

Wrongful death legal action is an option

When someone is killed in a motorcycle accident through the negligence or gross misconduct of another, that is a wrongful death. Their next-of-kin or estate has the option of seeking economic damages in a wrongful death civil action.

Statutes of limitations to take such action vary, depending on the death’s nature and location. To ensure you have adequate time to respond, contact a wrongful death attorney as soon as possible so your case can be evaluated. Fill out our free case review form on this page, or call 1-800-505-1414, and a legal representative will respond promptly.

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