How Dangerous Are Motorcycles
**A contributed post as written for The Safe Driver.
Whether you’re trying to convince your spouse, your mother or yourself to buy a motorcycle, one of the arguments you’ll undoubtedly use is, “Motorcycles aren’t any more dangerous than motor vehicles,” but is that the truth? Data says no.
The Inherent Risk of Riding
Riding a motorcycle is inherently more risk than driving a car with four wheels. For one, there’s the very structure (or lack thereof) of a motorcycle. Motorcycle frames and small and won’t protect you at all during a crash. In fact, the best chance you have at survival in a crash is donning your head with one of the best motorcycle helmets available. Crashes aside, riding a motorcycle is more difficult than driving a car.
When you ride a motorcycle, you must direct more energy and focus toward the task at hand than you would when operating a sedan. You also have to engage more muscle strength, which is something you definitely don’t have to do when driving a car or truck. Motorcycle riding also comes with more variables than driving, which means more opportunities for error. For instance, when riding a motorcycle, you have to think about factors such as gravel patches on the road, oil spots, salt and other conditions about which regular drivers do not have to worry.
The Objective Dangers
“Not everything is 100% safe,” you may argue, and this is true, but that doesn’t make motorcycles any safer. According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 4,976 individuals died while riding a motorcycle in 2015 in the United States. This number is up from 2014, which saw 4,594 fatalities.
There are 8.6 million registered motorcycle and scooters on the road, which means that, technically speaking, riders only have a 1 in 1,728 chance of being involved in a motorbike accident. That’s not very likely, right? Not necessarily, but when the NHTSA delved deeper into the findings, it revealed that the fatality rate for motorcyclists is up to seven times higher than that of four-wheeled passengers of motor vehicles. Moreover, motorcyclists are 27 times more likely to die in a crash than passengers of four-wheeled vehicles per mile traveled and are nearly five times more likely to sustain an injury.
So, Should You Not Ride?
Don’t let fear keep you from living out your dream of owning and operating a motorcycle. Yes, the risk is there, but there are plenty of measures you can take to minimize yours and stay safe when in the saddle. For one, you can learn about why crashes happen in the first place.
In 2015, 33% of motorcycle fatalities were a direct result of rider speeding. What those numbers tell you is, don’t speed. Another 40% died because they weren’t wearing a helmet. You can minimize your risk of meeting the same fate by investing in one of the best off-roading helmets you can find. Finally, the NHTSA found that it is not uncommon for motorcycle victims to have blood alcohol content levels that in excess of the legal limits. Moral of the story? Don’t drink and ride.
Some other steps you can take include equipping your bike with quality motorcycle light kits. This ensures other drivers can see you in dark conditions. You should also wear high-visibility gear and, if you split lanes, only do so at safe speeds. Shop reflective gear and helmets now to ensure the safest ride possible.