Category: Motorcycle Accident

It’s no secret that motorcycles are fun to drive.  But they are also much more dangerous than a car.  According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), motorcyclists are 30 times more likely to die in a crash than people in a car, and nearly half of all motorcycle deaths are the result of single-vehicle crashes.

The key to enjoying a lifetime of riding your motorcycle is to be aware of the dangers you should avoid and to take every safety precaution you can.  Motorcyclists in Kentucky can stay safe using these tips for safe riding:

Never drink and ride.  According to the IIHS, 42 percent of fatal motorcycle crashes involved alcohol.  Alcohol reduces your reaction time, blurs vision, and impairs your judgment and decision making skills, all of which are key factors in staying safe on a motorcycle.

A multi-year study found that when motorcyclists were involved in accidents, about 17% of riders also incurred a brain injury. That means, perhaps surprisingly, that nearly 83% of the accidents caused serious injury only to other areas of the body.

The question many people have is, do motorcycle helmets significantly reduce the chance for brain injury? The multi-year study found that of those riders wearing a helmet, 12% experienced a head injury. Of those not wearing a helmet, 20% experienced a head injury – so the answer, in general, appears to be yes.

A recent petition filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) demands a new regulation that would require the installation of antilock brakes on all new motorcycles sold in the United States. It argues that antilock brakes would prevent some of the 4,000 fatal motorcycle accidents that take place in the U.S. each year along with the thousands of motorcycle accident injuries that leave bikers in need of help from an experienced Kentucky motorcycle accident attorney.

The petition was filed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the Highway Loss Data Institute. It is based on studies performed by the IIHS that examined both the braking capacity of motorcycles and the behavior of motorcyclists in emergency conditions.

May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, and many Kentucky motorcycle accident attorneys know just how important it is for drivers to practice safety when sharing the roads with motorcyclists.  When a motorcycle and a car collide, serious injuries can result. Practicing safety and awareness can help both car drivers and bikers avoid crashes and stay safe on the roads.

Whether you’re new to driving a car or have been driving for years, it’s wise to review motorcycle safety tips from time to time and keep them in mind when you share the road with bikers.  Here are six tips for sharing the road safely with motorcyclists.

According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, motorcycle accident deaths remained about the same from 2010 to 2011. At first glance, this might not seem like a significant finding. A closer look, however, shows that states could make changes that would dramatically lower the number of deaths.

In 2011, the number of automobile accidents fell to their lowest number. Estimates show that about 32,310 people died in car accidents. That’s 1.7 percent lower than 2010. It shows a steadily falling rate that has been the result of several factors, including improved technology that keeps passengers safer and laws that ban drivers from operating cars while distracted or under the influence of drugs or alcohol.