Motorcycle Accidents
Motorcycle Accidents
Every year over 65,000 motorcyclists are injured in America. Usually, drivers involved in an accident with motorcycles fail to see the motorcyclists until the moment just before impact. Motorcycles do not have the kind of protection that cars or trucks have. This makes motorcyclists particularly vulnerable to severe injuries in accidents. A motorcycle rider or passenger is 5 times more likely to be injured in an accident than the occupant of an automobile.
Injuries Suffered from Motorcycle Accidents:
Motorcyclists are at a much greater risk of being seriously injured or placed on permanent disability because of motorcycle accidents. Keep the following safety rules in mind to reduce the likelihood that you will be involved, or seriously injured, in a motorcycle accident:
- Your visibility is key to avoiding accidents. Be as visible as possible to other drivers. By keeping your wearing reflective gear, headlights on during the daytime, and equipping your bike with a fairing or windshield, the chance that other drivers will see you will be greatly diminished.
- Receive adequate training. Statistically, motorcyclists who are well trained on how to ride and care for their bikes are less likely to be involved in motorcycle accidents than riders who forego training and teach themselves.
- Wear a helmet and proper riding gear. A motorcyclist’s best protection against a serious injury in a motorcycle accident will be their helmet. Helmets for motorcyclists are like seatbelts for drivers. Wearing a helmet is a simple way to reduce the likelihood that an accident you are involved in will be fatal. Also, wear eye protection, gloves, appropriate footwear, leg guards and jackets limit abrasions when accidents do occur.
Why Is It So Important To Wear A Helmet On Motorcycles?
Riding a motorcycle gives riders a sense of freedom on the open road. However, there are serious dangers involved in riding without a helmet.
A motorcycle does not provide the structural protection that a car does to keep drivers safe in the event of an accident.
Motorcyclists need to take extra precautions to protect their body. The most important place to start is by protecting the head.
The head and brain is most vulnerable to injury in a motorcycle accident. Drivers and passengers wearing helmets increase their chance of survival significantly over non-helmet wearers.
It is important for motorcyclists to understand the risks of riding without a helmet. Riders who do not wear helmets are at risk of suffering a traumatic brain injury if they are in an accident. Without protection, the head is vulnerable to a traumatic impact in an accident even when traveling at low speeds.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration studies of non-fatal motorcycle injuries reveal that riders who did not wear a helmet had higher health care costs, longer hospitalization, longer recovery periods, and an increased loss in quality of life.
Traumatic brain injuries that are non-fatal usually have serious and long-term results. Brain trauma often results in spinal cord injuries and disability that require extended care and physical therapy. In addition, the damaged brain may deteriorate after hospitalization and die days to weeks after the injury due to secondary injury.
Because of the fatal risk of traumatic brain injury is so high, it is crucial for motorcyclists to take action to protect themselves while riding. Wearing a helmet that is approved by the Department of Transportation is one of many precautions a rider can take to increase safety on the open road.