The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has released a comprehensive report on motorcycle accidents in America, detailing statistics on both fatal and nonfatal accidents. Arizona motorcyclists and other interested parties may find relevant information about the risks of cycling and the frequency of various types of collisions. This report indicates that motorcycle riding is substantially more risky than the operation of a car.
Motorcycle fatalities are on the rise in America. The number of motorcyclists who died in accidents increased by 327 in 2012, which represents 15 percent of all the traffic deaths in that year. However, motorcycles make up only a negligible proportion of the automotive vehicles in America. Motorcycles and similar vehicles constitute only three percent of all motor vehicle registrations and approximately 0.7 percent of all vehicle miles traveled.
However, the injury rate for motorcyclists is not as high as the fatality rate. People riding motorcycles are injured more often than the drivers of cars are but not more often than the motor vehicle passengers are. This may reflect the more critical nature of motorcycle accidents, where the lack of protection for a motorcycle rider results in a larger proportion of incidents that end in fatalities.
Anyone who has suffered a personal injury as a result of a motorcycle crash may decide to seek compensation from those who are responsible for the accident. Arizona law does not prevent someone who is partially at fault in an accident from collecting an award for his or her injuries. Instead, their compensation will be reduced by the percentage for which they are found to be responsible. It may be advantageous for anyone who wishes to prove where fault lies in a wreck to seek the advice of an attorney.
Source: NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis, “Traffic Safety Facts Motorcycles“, October 12, 2014