Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog

According to a study conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's National Center for Statistics and Analysis, between 2001 and 2005, a majority of fatal motorcycle crashes (55%) were between a motorcycle and another vehicle. The fatality rate of motorcycle riders in these accidents was a staggering 90% of the operators, and 8% of their passengers. Only 2% were the occupants of the vehicles. Furthermore, 75% of the time, the motorcycle hit the vehicle they were involved in the accident with.

And, finally, in 2006, 27% of motorcycle operators killed in accidents had a blood alcohol content of at least .08. This is the legal limit across the country.

Drinking and Riding

We've already covered some statistics and ways to protect yourself if you are riding a motorcycle. Because there are so many motorcycles on the road, these statistics will probably continue to increase. To be fair, the percentage of motorcyclists who were legally impaired at the time of their death has gone down from 35% in 1996. This could be because fewer motorcyclists are getting drunk and then riding their bikes, or perhaps they survive more often these days due to safety issues like helmet laws. It's much better to be in a body cast, stuck in bed instead of riding your motorcycle, than it is to be pushing up the daisies and another statistic in reports from the NHTSA or blogs like this.

The percentage of motorcyclists legally impaired when they died was higher than any other type of vehicle. Certainly this percentage can be parsed; there are thousands of more cars and trucks on the road than there are motorcycles, so their percentage of drunk drivers is a bit lower. However, this alone is still terrifying in many ways. Almost a quarter of those killed in auto accidents or truck accidents were impaired at the time of death. Think of the many others out there who weren't in this report because they weren't killed, but instead injured or simply walked away. And how many of those hit and killed a motorcyclist because they were drinking and driving?

Remember, even on a good day you are less likely to be seen by another vehicle simply because the size of your motorcycle is smaller than that of a car. On a bad day you might find yourself staring down a driver who has crossed the center line. What then?

While we all take risks when we drive, motorcyclists need to consider that wearing a helmet can do more good than harm. That's one of the many differences between motorcycles and vehicles, and one of the facts that the NHTSA has covered: helmets have saved just over 750 lives.

So, three things to take away from this: 1) Don't drink and ride your bike; 2) wear a helmet; and 3) beware of what is going on around you on the road.

Finally, if you or a loved one has been injured in a motorcycle accident due to another driver's negligence, please contact the Motorcycle Accident Lawyer site to find an experienced injury lawyer in your area.