How do most motorcycle accidents happen? 5 main causes (2023)

It's no secret that motorcyclists are the most vulnerable people on the road. Compared to other drivers of cars, trucks, and other vehicles, motorcyclists are much less protected, harder to see, and may have different traffic rules that can make them unpredictable.

Unfortunately, there are countless motorcycle accidents every year.

So how do most motorcycle accidents happen?Despite many opinions on the internet, there is no single factor that causes motorcycle accidents.The top 5 causes are weather and road conditions, driver speed, alcohol or drugs, reckless motorcycling behavior and not seeing other motorists on the road..

Although motorcyclists typically make up only 3% of registered vehicles in the United States, they contribute14% of vehicle-related deathsaccording to NSC!

Let's take a look at these five most common causes of motorcycle accidents on the road, the resulting injuries, and how to avoid them.

Getting behind the wheel while drunk or unfortunately meeting a drunk driver on the road remains one of the main causes of all motorcycle accidents, at least with 127 million drunk driversbe on the road in 2020, according to the CDC.

Regardless of whether the driver is intoxicated or another driver is driving under the influence of alcohol, it is one of the deadliest causes of all types of motorcycle accidents.

As reported by NHTSA, in 2018, 39% of fatal single-vehicle accidents involved the drunk motorcyclist, and not even other motorcyclists are involved.

When you include other drunk or non-drunk drivers, that number increases significantly, making drunk driving one of the leading causes of motorcycle accidents.

When visibility is poor the roads are slippery and due to bad weather there is often debris on the roads. The likelihood of a motorcycle accident naturally increases. Unfortunately, in such adverse weather conditions, motorcyclists are once again at the top of the list of the most dangerous road users.

This is mainly because motorcyclists are exposed to the elements without the protection offered by the vehicle's interior. With nothing but a helmet and clothing to protect them from wind, rain and other elements, they are at Mother Nature's mercy.

Not only does this reduce the rider's visibility, but it can also make it difficult to effectively control the motorcycle because it could be wet, cold, uncomfortable or for a number of other reasons. Also, most motorcycles only have two tires, making control a lot harder in already threatening weather conditions.

As with all vehicles worldwide, excessive speed is one of the most common causes of accidents. However, exceeding the speed limit proved to be particularly dangerous for motorcyclists.

Compared to speeding-related collisions and car, truck, and other automobile fatalities, more motorcycle fatalities were caused by speeding than others.

This is mainly because motorcycles are much more unstable on two wheels, which can be devastating at high speeds.

With limited protection, motorcyclists who crash at high speed are likely to suffer serious or worse injuries. It doesn't help much either.Motorcycles have an impressive rate of accelerationcompared to other vehicles, which certainly makes hard stops almost impossible.

Although not legal in all states, it isAmerican Motorcycle Associationdescribes lane separation as "the narrow width of a motorcycle that allows it to pass between lanes of stationary or slow-moving cars on freeways when the lanes are wide enough to maintain adequate spacing."

This option can provide an escape route for riders who would otherwise get stuck or rear-end.” As it has become increasingly dangerous for motorcyclists to be in stop-start or traffic jams, lane splitting has proven to be beneficial for motorcyclists; however, it is not without its dangers.

If you ride a motorcycle between rows of stopped or slow-moving cars, you are at the mercy of other motorists.

When a motorcyclist changes lanes and a car suddenly tries to go ahead and does not see the motorcyclist, this can lead to a very common type of accident.

Hopefully, the motorcyclist will be traveling slowly enough to stop or maneuver around the oncoming vehicle, although this is not always the case.

Motorcycles are easy to ride because they are small, can navigate traffic, and are fast. But that's also what makes them so dangerous. Ironically, all of these advantages of a motorcycle also make it less visible to other riders and cause many motorcycle accidents.

Almost all vehicles have a blind spot, whether they are small cars or large trucks. sometimes thatblind spot can completely block the driver's view and make the driver believe that there is no one there, causing an accident. In addition to blind spots, most drivers do not always have driver safety in mind.

Motorcyclists are in the minority on the road. Vehicle drivers constantly encounter other vehicles and keep an eye on them when changing lanes, entering freeways, etc.

They encounter motorcycles much less frequently and often do not take the extra time to check their blind spots, often resulting in a premature motorcycle accident.

Unfortunately, not all motorcycle accidents are preventable and people are injured in a variety of ways.

Motorcycle accidents and the resulting injuries are unique compared to other vehicle accidents.

Motorcycle Accident AttorneysAnwaltskanzlei Ciccarellistated that the most common injuries in motorcycle accidents are:

• TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury):Even when the rider is wearing a helmet, brain injuries are among the most common injuries in motorcycle accidents. Because the driver does not have the safety of the seat belt, he can easily fly over the handlebars and hit other obstacles in the vehicle or on the road, which can lead to traumatic brain injuries.
• Spinal Cord Injuries:Spinal cord injuries are often associated with brain injuries and are another common injury in motorcycle accidents. Since only your own body can withstand the impact, it is not uncommon for a casualty to suffer a head injury and a spinal cord injury at the same time.
• road breakout:Since motorcyclists only have the clothing and helmet to protect them from the tarmac, skin rash is a very common injury in motorcycling accidents. It can range from mild to severe and occurs when a motorcyclist's body slides on the pavement at high speed.

Fortunately, most motorcycle accidents are preventable as long as riders and riders take extra precautions on the road.

Some of the things motorcyclists can do to avoid an accident are:

• Wear light-colored clothing to be seen
• Avoid riding your motorcycle in bad weather conditions
• never accelerate
• never drink and drive
• Do not share lanes with cars
• Check your motorcycle regularly for maintenance issues, especially tires

If you are a driver, you can:

• Check the mirrors again before merging them
• Avoid getting stuck in slow traffic
• Avoid opening the doors when sitting in slow traffic or stationary
• Obey the traffic regulations
• Always assume a motorcyclist is nearby.