What Are The Statistics For Motorcycle Crashes?

Posted by David Rosenberg on February 20th, 2020

Missouri motorcycle drivers such as yourself go through your day understanding that accidents carry a higher fatality rate for motorcyclists than for the drivers of enclosed vehicles such as trucks, cars, vans and so on. But what are the exact facts behind motorcycle fatalities?

As reported by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, it was estimated that motorcyclists experience over 26 times the amount of deaths per mile traveled than car drivers, highlighting the fact that motorcycle accidents can often be either high-injury or lethal. The study moves on to say that 4,295 motorcyclists were killed in crashes in the year 2014 alone. They also took up 13 percent of the total number of all motor vehicle deaths in the same year.

On the whole, multiple vehicle accidents were considered more lethal. 58 percent of these deaths were caused in accidents involving more than one vehicle, while 42 percent were involved in single-vehicle crashes. Also notable is the fact that the age groups most likely to get in a lethal accident are those younger than 29 and those older than 50. And tragically, 60 percent of those involved in fatal accidents were wearing their helmets.

Though the study only extends to 2014, a disturbing trend has been pointed out. Though fatal motorcycle accidents began to drop in the 1980s, they have seen an upswing since 1998 that has not yet slowed down or plateaued.

Naturally, these are all concerning statistics for motorcyclists like you. However, all information should be disclosed so you can continue to make your riding choices fully informed.

If you want to know more about motorcycle crashes statistics, contact a Kansas City motorcycle accident attorney at Mayer & Rosenberg, P.C and schedule a free consultation by clicking here or by calling 816-941-8949.