Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog

This winter seemed especially rough for most states across the country. And, now that it is finally warming up, people are ready to spend more time outdoors. Another trend that comes along with the rise in number of people outside is the number of motorcycles on the road. Motorcycles might be one of the trendy things to own these days, and with rising gas prices, many people see motorcycles as the mode of transportation that will help alleviate some of the financial pain at the gas pump. For example, motorcycle registration grew by nearly 5,000 from the previous year in Kansas.

The Kansas Department of Transportation is not alone in noting the rise in injuries and fatalities of motorcyclists. Though numbers dipped in 2007, the overall rise of these statistics matches those of other states – that is, they keep going up. KDOT states there were 1,171 accidents last year, which is a little higher than the 1,103 reported in 2006. However, this is almost double the numbers from 1998 when KDOT began keeping track. There were 586 injuries and 19 fatalities that year; last year there were 49 fatalities and 1,087 injuries.

Though motorcyclists are told to wear a helmet, jacket, and gloves to avoid serious injury or death, many riders seem to ignore this advice. Of those involved in accidents in Kansas in 1998, only 21.2 percent were wearing a helmet. Last year only 31.5 were wearing a helmet when they were involved in an accident.

Though motorcyclists are not usually to blame when they are involved in an accident with another vehicle, they are the ones most often injured or killed. It is hoped that by continuing to educate motorcyclists in safety classes and about safety gear that eventually most will be wearing helmets and more aware of what happens on the road.

If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident, please contact the Motorcycle Accident Lawyer site to find an experienced injury lawyer in your area.