Five Things Everybody Needs To Know About Motorcycle Accidents

September 8, 2019

The Likelihood Of Severe Injuries Is Extremely High
Wearing Your Helmet Reduces The Risk Of Death By 37%
Half of All SIngle-Vehicle Fatalities Involve Alcohol
Motorcycles are 27x Deadlier Than Cars
Half of All Motorcycle Collisions Occur At Intersections
Contact A Georgia Personal Injury Attorney Today

Riding motorcycles is an extremely popular hobby that continues to grow year after year.

There are roughly 9 million motorcycles on the road today.

However, the unfortunate reality of the hobby is that accidents take place quite frequently, and the riders can face catastrophic and life-threatening injuries.

Motorcycles leave you completely exposed, leaving you at the mercy of the drivers you share the road with.

If you are injured in a motorcycle accident, here’s why you should not represent yourself in your motorcycle accident case.

In the article below, we are going to discuss five things everyone should know about motorcycles, in hopes of seeing accident rates drop.

I met with Harry Brown personally and he sat with me for 20 minutes at our initial consultation to explain everything. He even called after my surgery to see how I was doing. I met with him several more times after that and was kept informed about my case throughout. I highly recommend Harry Brown as an attorney.

STEVEN SWEENY, SAVANNAH

1. The Likelihood Of Severe Injuries Is Extremely High

As we’ve already mentioned, motorcyclists and their passengers are more vulnerable to accidents and injuries because there are no seat belts, metal frames, or air bags to protect them.

As a result, the majority of motorcycle accidents result in severe and even fatal injuries.

Motorcycle accidents often result in serious injuries, such as:

Bone fractures or breaks
Traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
Spinal cord injuries
Injuries to the knees, ankles, or legs
Neck and shoulder injuries
Cuts and abrasions
Paralysis
Amputation

These injuries often require extensive medical care, rehabilitation, and in some cases can be permanently disabling.

The accidents can also cause a great deal of stress, emotional trauma, and financial hardships.

All of these factors combine to make for a very expensive ongoing situation that can impact your entire family.

2. Wearing Your Helmet Reduces The Risk Of Death By 37%

Georgia is one of 19 states that require its motorcycle riders always to wear a helmet, and for good reason.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that helmets are about 37% effective at preventing motorcycle deaths and a whopping 67 percent effective at preventing brain injuries.

For this reason, everyone should always wear a helmet when riding their bike.

Some riders have an unfounded fear that a helmet is going to restrict their vision.

According to the NHTSA, helmets reduce your peripheral vision by less than 3% and do not hinder your ability to hear.

So there’s no reason not to grab your helmet before your next ride.

3. Half Of All Single-Vehicle Fatal Crashes Involve Alcohol

The best way, and perhaps most obvious way, to reduce your chances of a motorcycle accident is to avoid drinking and driving.

This should be common sense, but we’ll talk about it here just in case it isn’t for some.

Avoiding drinking and driving can cut your chances of a fatal single-vehicle crash in half.

Of course, other people around you can still drink and drive, so there’s no way to eliminate the danger completely.

Sober drivers have quicker reflexes and can counter steer or swerve much more effectively.

Without even talking about the legal ramifications, driving while intoxicated can also prevent you from recovering any compensation for your injuries.

If you are injured while intoxicated, you are more likely to be found negligent, reducing the amount of compensation you receive close to zero, if anything.

4. Motorcycles are 27x Deadlier Than Cars

A fatality is possible in a car or motorcycle accident, so neither method of transportation is completely safe.

More people die in car accidents in motorcycles, but that’s only because more people ride in cars than on motorcycles.

The federal government compares deaths per mile traveled and has found that the death rate of people riding motorcycles is more than 27x that of people riding in other vehicles.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise, because cars are much safer than motorcycles.

Fortunately, riders can reduce the danger of riding a motorcycle by taking a motorcycle safety course.

More than 90% of people involved in accidents haven’t taken any kind of safety training course.

5. Half Of Motorcycle Collisions Happen At Intersections

When approaching an intersection, you should always watch out for vehicles that might pull out from a driveway or side street.

Vehicles can turn in front of you, so keep an eye out for that as well.

Intersections are particularly dangerous because parked vehicles, buildings, overhanging tree branches, or shrubbery can limit your vision.

Because of the obstructions, you might never see a vehicle approaching you and pull out into the intersection, thinking it’s clear.

You can protect yourself by slowing down and double-checking that no traffic is coming.

Prepare to react quickly, if necessary, because other vehicles on the road could be driving carelessly around motorcycles.

You might not see them, and they might not see you.

If a vehicle hits you through no fault of your own, you could receive compensation.

Injured motorcyclists can receive reimbursement for medical expenses, lost wages, pain, and suffering, and the loss of companionship from their spouse.