No matter what vehicle you drive, it has a crash fatality rate. Many people are focused on safety when determining what their next vehicle is going to be. They want something that is going to keep them safe if they get involved in an accident, so they look for vehicles with low fatality rates.
One thing to keep in mind when looking into these statistics is that motorcycles have disproportionately high fatality rates. Some studies have found that the rate is 22 times as high for motorcyclists. Why is it that a motorcyclist faces much greater danger than someone in another vehicle – when both people are theoretically driving in the same traffic conditions and things of this nature?
Lack of protection
The big issue is just that motorcyclists don’t have as much protection as others. It is possible to ride a motorcycle very safely and competently, and most riders do. They are not reckless or dangerous. Many of them pay better attention than those in the larger vehicles around them. Motorcyclists may also invest thousands of dollars in safety gear that they wear while riding.
All of this is well and good, but the reality is that a rider is only as safe as the drivers around them. If someone else makes a mistake and hits the motorcycle, that motorcyclist doesn’t have a seatbelt, a steel frame, crumple zones to absorb some of the energy from the crash or an airbag to protect them. They can easily be thrown from the bike or struck by another vehicle.
The inherent lack of protection on the motorcycle just makes riding more dangerous, even for riders who are careful and safe. Other drivers are going to make mistakes, and those who have been injured in these accidents – or who have lost loved ones – must know what legal options they have.
