Recent News on Motorcycle Fatalities

Motorcycles are dangerous.  Motorcycles are hard to see and easy to hit in traffic.  Nothing  new there.

What does make news is a recent report by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) reporting no progress in efforts to reduce motorcycle fatalities on U.S. roads in 2011.  The report compares partial year statistics from 2010 and 2011 to make overall fatality projections.

In the same period, the National Highway Safety Transportation Administration (NHTSA) reported a 1.7 percent decline in motor vehicle traffic collisions.  If projections hold, 2011 will mark a record low in traffic fatalities since 1949.

Serving the Dallas area, we regularly represent seriously injured motorcycle riders and their passengers.  Evidence of the need to prevent these horrific crashes is clear.  Texas alone saw a 16 percent increase in motorcyclist fatalities last year — 374 people dead in the first six months of 2011. But why this increase in motorcycle fatalities?

The GHSA report compared gas prices, motorcycle registrations and fatality trends.  Research revealed economic factors like higher gas prices and more disposable income led to more motorcycle registrations and greater fatality rates.

How can you avoid becoming a statistic?  The report makes the following recommendations:

• Make sure you and passengers wear helmets every time you ride
• Slow down—speeding on a motorcycle is deadly
• Do not drive impaired by alcohol or drugs
• Know your bike and your ability—take an initial training course
• Stay alert—help friends and family understand the need to share the road

Taking reasonable precautions can help protect you while out on your bike, but does not guarantee the other drivers on the road will be as careful. If you are injured while riding your motorcycle because someone else failed to share the road responsibly, contact us for legal assistance.