Motorcycle Accidents: How to Avoid Them

 Posted on December 00, 0000 in Motorcycle Accidents

It is no shock that there are more motorcycle fatalities and injuries per number of accidents than those experienced by drivers or passengers in motor vehicles. Because motorcycle riders lack an enclosed space, accidents are usually more severe. This is exacerbated by the fact that a significant number of motorcycles have high performance capacities, meaning that they can drive at high speeds — this is further exacerbated by the fact that many motorcyclists are using the bike for a joy ride, rather than for function. This can often mean that motorcyclists are more reckless.

Although there are not set comparative numbers, by some estimates that per mile traveled in 2013, there were 26 times the number of motorcycle deaths than fatalities in motor vehicles. While motorcycle deaths declined between the early 1980s and 1998, they have been steadily increasing in numbers since 1998. This could be because there are simply more motorcyclists on the road — but either way, motorcycle deaths made up nearly 15 percent of all roadway crashes in 2013 and were double the number of deaths in 1997.

Helmets are the single easiest way to avoid death if involved in a motorcycle accident. Most states have helmet laws — either requiring all motorcyclists to wear a helmet when driving, or a partial law, which limits to whom the law is applicable. Illinois is among the three states that does not have any helmet law at all. A bill introduced in 2011 would have required drivers under the age of 26 to use a helmet, but it did not pass. Even with a helmet, however, motorcycle accidents are still among the most deadly: 59 percent of motorcycle drivers who were fatally injured in a crash in 2013 were in fact wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a motorcycle accident for which you were not at fault, you may be eligible for compensation. Do not go through it alone. Contact an experienced Lake County accident attorney today.