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Motorcycle Crashes Happen Often |
By:
Jamie Preston |
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Motorcycle Crashes ? How to Avoid Them and Ride Safe
Motorcycle crashes account for only about 4 percent of all vehicle crashes in the United States, but make up 10 percent of all deaths and 7 percent of all injuries. The sad truth is that many motorcycle crashes are easily avoidable if you follow a few simple guidelines.
Myths About Motorcycle Crashes
One huge misconception about motorcycle crashes is that they are almost all caused by other vehicles on the road. This is not the case. Between the years of 2000 and 2004, 63 percent of all motorcycle crashes were either single vehicle crashes or were caused by the motorcycle rider.
What that means is that around two thirds of all motorcycle crashes were caused directly by the rider. Another misconception is that most motorcycle crashes happen at night. This is not the case. In the same time period as mentioned above, over seventy percent of the crashes happened during the day.
Another misconception is that most crashes occur at high speed. While the majority of high speed motorcycle crashes did result in fatalities, for the most part crashes occurred in relatively low speed areas ? 40 miles per hour and less. A motorcycle can be extremely dangerous and even fatal at low speeds.
Riders tend to be less aware and less cautious at these speeds thinking that because of the quickness of the bike they can avoid most problems. In addition they tend to take more chances, resulting in more accidents.
In addition to this, younger people make up almost a third of all crashes while they only represent a tenth of overall vehicle registration. While all these figures are alarming, the most disconcerting is the number of crashes that involve alcohol. While driving any moving vehicle while intoxicated is dangerous, it is much more so when riding a motorcycle.
Riders have a tendency to be less aware of their surroundings and in addition have less of a reaction time to hazards when they present themselves. The combination of a high rate of speed plus little protection leads to most fatalities involving motorcycles having alcohol as a component.
Key to Motorcycle Safety
There are three keys to being safe on a motorcycle. The first is to not consume alcohol and ride. The second is to be aware that the vehicle can be deadly even at low speeds. The third is to understand that most of the accidents on a motorcycle are caused by the rider, so be aware and responsible and you should be able to enjoy riding safely.
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Article Source: http://www.statssheet.com/articles/article76045.html |
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