National motorcycle accident and injury statistics
Motorcyclists on the road are at an immediate safety disadvantage. This is due to the obvious fact that motorcycles are much smaller and less protective than regular passenger vehicles on the road today. But how many motorcyclists are actually involved in accidents every year? Of those accidents, what percentage of accident victims are seriously injured or even killed?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, deadly motorcycle crashes were up 7.1% from the previous year to a total of 4,957 deaths in 2012. An important statistic determined by the NHTSA, is that motorcycle riders are five times more likely than non-motorcyclists to be injured in a crash and 26 times more likely to be killed. These statistics do not bode well for motorcyclists. The reality is that motorcyclists need to take extra care because they are more susceptible to accidents with injuries or death.
On the upside, motorcycle rider fatalities have decreased from a high point of 5,312 deaths in 2008. There are also more motorcyclists registered than in 2008, which means that not only have the number of deaths decreased, but they have decreased per capita as well.
There are ways for motorcyclists to prevent themselves from sustaining an accident with serious injuries, but there is no way to stop it completely. This is due to the uncertainty that is left with negligent drivers that cause accidents with motorcyclists.
While it appears that motorcyclist deaths have decreased, they are currently at an alarmingly high amount. Nearly 5,000 motorcyclists were killed in 2012, thousands other were injured. Some of these accidents were due to negligent drivers in passenger vehicles. It is crucial that all motorcyclists and drivers in other vehicles understand the importance of motorcycle safety.
Source: Insurance Information Institute, ” Motorcycle Accidents ,” Accessed on Dec. 29, 2014