Motorcycle riding has become more popular in recent years, appealing to a new group of enthusiasts consisting of older and more affluent riders. Sales of all types of two-wheelers reached about 1,158,000 in 2006, a level not seen in about 30 years. At the same time motorcycle fatalities have also been climbing, reaching their highest level in 2006 since 1981. There has been a dramatic jump in the number of deaths among motorcycle riders age 40 and older in recent years.
Motorcycles are by their nature far less crashworthy than closed vehicles. They are also less visible to other drivers and pedestrians and less stable than four-wheel vehicles. Operating a motorcycle requires a different combination of physical and mental skills than those used in driving four-wheel vehicles. Motorcyclists and their passengers are more vulnerable to the hazards of weather and road conditions than drivers in closed vehicles.
Motorcycle insurance is widely available. As motorcycles became more popular, more insurers entered the market. Now, most of the top ten auto insurers offer motorcycle insurance, either as an endorsement to a personal automobile policy or as a separate policy, in most of the states in which they operate. Many have recently expanded into new states.
Key Facts About Motorcycle Accidents
-According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2006 4,810 people died in motorcycle crashes, up 5.1 percent from 4,576 in 2005 to the highest level since 1981.
-Motorcycle crash fatalities have increased every year for the past nine years.
-There were 6.2 million motorcycles on U.S. roads in 2005, according to the latest data available from the Federal Highway Administration, compared with 137.4 million passenger cars.
-Motorcycles accounted for nearly 3 percent of all registered motor vehicles and 0.4 percent of vehicle miles traveled in 2006, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration some 104,000 motorcycles were involved in crashes in 2006, including property damage-only crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
-Motorcyclists were 35 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die in a crash in 2006, per vehicle mile traveled, and eight times more likely to be injured, according to NHTSA.
-The fatality rate for motorcyclists in 2006 was 5.5 times the fatality rate for passenger car occupants per registered vehicle, according to the latest data from NHTSA.
Motorcycle accidents are very dangerous. If you or someone you know has been injured or killed in a motorcycle accident, contact the Morgantown Motorcycle Accident Lawyers of Colombo Law at 800-860-1414.
