When just looking at the raw statistics for motorcycle accidents, the numbers are dwarfed by car accidents, both fatal and otherwise. However, this can skew perceptions somewhat. There are far more cars on the roads than motorcycles, so the numbers are bound to be higher. That doesn’t really tell you much about how relatively dangerous motorcycles are. For that, it can be better to look at the percentages.
For example, in 2014, there were 110,000 motorcycle accidents. All told, 4,694 accidents were deadly. That means that just under 4.3 percent of the motorcycle crashes resulted in a fatality.
There were far more car accidents in 2014, with 5,982,000 passenger car crashes alone. There were also 4,184,000 light truck accidents. That’s a total of 10,166,000 accidents. For cars, 17,848 were fatal, and 17,136 more were fatal for light trucks. That’s a total of 34,984 deaths in these accidents. While that is much higher, it means that only 0.34 percent of the accidents resulted in fatalities.
What is really telling, though, is that motorcycles only accounted for 1 percent of the total accidents that year. Even so, they were involved in 10.5 percent of the deadly accidents. This shows that motorcycles do carry a significant amount of risk, even if fewer people use them.
Have you lost a loved one in a motorcycle accident, or have you suffered catastrophic injuries yourself? If so, you may be able to seek financial compensation for lost wages, medical bills, rehabilitation, disfigurement, and much more. It’s crucial that you know your rights and what steps to take.
Source: Insurance Information Institute, “Motorcycle Crashes,” accessed Nov. 23, 2016