Motorcycle Accidents Show Decrease in Injuries and Fatalities

Motorcycles are often difficult for other vehicles to see when traveling on roadways simply because cars and trucks are much larger in size than the two-wheeled vehicles.
A motorcycle has a much smaller frame and can easily be missed in a vehicle’s blind spot when a driver changes lanes. Because of the visibility factor, motorcycle accidents are frequently caused by the negligence of other drivers on the road. That being said, motorcycle accident fatalities and injuries showed a decline in 2013 compared to 2012 according to the National Traffic Safety Highway Administration (NTSHA.)

There were 32,719 fatalities in all types of vehicle crashes during 2013 representing an overall decline of 2.1%. Motorcycle accidents specifically accounted for 4,668 fatalities that year, which was reduced from 4,968 fatalities in 2012. This represents a 6.4% decrease. Non-fatal Injuries from motorcycle accidents totaled 88,000 in 2013 which is five percent less than the 93,000 reported in 2012.

Although it is not clear as to why the decline occurred, in 2012 the Governors Highway Safety Administration’s (GHSA) chairman had begun sounding alarms for something to be done to reduce Pennsylvania motorcycle fatalities. He asserted that if tougher actions were not put into place, trends for motorcycle fatalities would continue to escalate. At the time, data showed a nine percent increase in fatal motorcycle accidents from 2011 to 2012 which alarmed policy makers and regulators.

The chairman from GHSA claims that if motorcycle riders and all other drivers on the road followed certain safety measures, injuries and fatalities to motorcycle riders and their passengers could be prevented. Moreover, if such measures and strategies were enforced, lawmakers would see a dramatic improvement and a significant reduction in serious motorcycle accidents. Safety strategies include the use of helmets, reduced speeding and impaired driving, ensuring proper licensing and offering training for those who want it. Lastly, a key strategy was to remind all other drivers to be aware of motorcycles on the road and be careful when sharing the road with these two-wheeled vehicles.