Motorcycle riders are subject to different requirements than the average motorist. They need a special endorsement on their license to lawfully operate a motorcycle or a motorcycle license if they don’t have a standard driver’s license. They may also need to invest in regular maintenance and repairs, as any mechanical failure while riding a motorcycle could lead to a crash. Motorcycle riders have every reason to be proactive about monitoring their surroundings for safety as injuries resulting from motorcycle collisions are oftentimes severe and/or catastrophic.
A large percentage of motorcycle collisions are actually the fault of the motor vehicle driver. What do modern collision statistics say about motorcycle safety?
Recent years have seen a sharp increase in wrecks
Motorcycles have always been a bit more dangerous than enclosed motor vehicles, but the roads have been more dangerous for motorcycle riders recently than in decades past. There has been a rise in fatal crashes and in drivers reporting unsafe behaviors in recent years.
Motorcycle fatalities have been on the rise for several years. In 2022, there were 6,218 reported motorcyclist deaths, which is the highest number since 1975. That statistic means that a motorcycle rider is roughly 22 times as likely as an occupant of an enclosed vehicle to die in a crash. They are also four times as likely to incur serious injuries. Overall, motorcycle riders represented about 15% of all traffic fatalities despite representing a smaller percentage of the total number of registered vehicles on the road.
Certain factors play a role in many of the worst motorcycle collisions. They often involve riders who don’t have proper licensing. Frequently, fatal motorcycle crashes share certain features, including excessive speed and a lack of appropriate safety gear. While motorcycle riders cannot force others to pay attention in traffic, they can make more safety-conscious choices about their own conduct on the road.
As motorcycle crash risk is higher now than in years past, motorcyclists should drive much more defensively for their own safety.
Those who do end up involved in a crash may need to consider filing an insurance claim or possibly a lawsuit against the driver who hit their motorcycle, because accountability is, in part, one of the only ways motorcyclist injuries will decline.