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Motorcycles good on gas, but how safe are they?
  
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By KIMBERLY POORE
With the drastic recent increase in gas prices, many people have started utilizing motorcycles for a primary source of transportation.
The Harris County Sheriff's Office recently released information regarding a crash on F.M. 1960 involving a motorcycle and vehicle. According to police reports the driver of the vehicle failed to yield right of way exiting a driveway and pulled into the path of the motorcycle causing the crash. The motorcycle rider was transported by Life Flight to the hospital and later died from his injuries.
“The overall number of traffic fatalities has decreased to the lowest number since 1994,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Mary Peters. “On the other hand motorcycle safety continues to be a problem.
Motorcycle fatalities account for 13 percent of all fatalities. In 2007, the number of motorcycle rider/passengers killed on the nation’s roads increased by 6.6 percent over the previous year.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that “motorcyclist fatalities continued their 10-year increase, reaching 5,154 in 2007, the highest number since NHTSA started collecting fatality crash data in 1975. Motorcycles accidents have increased more than 17 percent.”
Over the past few years motorcycle accidents have increased rapidly which is scary as the statistics of serious injuries and death is also continues to rise. 75 percent of all motorcycle accidents are the result of a collision with another vehicle may it be a car, another bike and or bus. About 6.6 percent of these accidents are because the driver of the other vehicle didn't see the motorcyclist which usually happens at night-time which is when motorcyclists are at their most vulnerable.
Other accidents that involve motorcyclists include motorcyclists negotiating road curves at high speeds and under-cornering, motorcyclists failing to see objects in the road, riding under the influence of drugs or alcohol and also not looking after your bike - bad maintenance including having a flat tire which can make a motorcyclist collide with another vehicle.
The most likely motorcyclist to have an accident is a male biker between the ages of 16-24 and also 50 percent of these accidents are with riders who have less than 5 months experience and this does include scooters. Bad weather only accounts for 2 percent of motorcycle accidents which is quite surprising.
For more information on motorcycle safety or statistics visit the NHTSA at www.nhtsa.dot.gov.
The Harris County Sheriff's Office recently released information regarding a crash on F.M. 1960 involving a motorcycle and vehicle. According to police reports the driver of the vehicle failed to yield right of way exiting a driveway and pulled into the path of the motorcycle causing the crash. The motorcycle rider was transported by Life Flight to the hospital and later died from his injuries.
“The overall number of traffic fatalities has decreased to the lowest number since 1994,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Mary Peters. “On the other hand motorcycle safety continues to be a problem.
Motorcycle fatalities account for 13 percent of all fatalities. In 2007, the number of motorcycle rider/passengers killed on the nation’s roads increased by 6.6 percent over the previous year.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that “motorcyclist fatalities continued their 10-year increase, reaching 5,154 in 2007, the highest number since NHTSA started collecting fatality crash data in 1975. Motorcycles accidents have increased more than 17 percent.”
Over the past few years motorcycle accidents have increased rapidly which is scary as the statistics of serious injuries and death is also continues to rise. 75 percent of all motorcycle accidents are the result of a collision with another vehicle may it be a car, another bike and or bus. About 6.6 percent of these accidents are because the driver of the other vehicle didn't see the motorcyclist which usually happens at night-time which is when motorcyclists are at their most vulnerable.
Other accidents that involve motorcyclists include motorcyclists negotiating road curves at high speeds and under-cornering, motorcyclists failing to see objects in the road, riding under the influence of drugs or alcohol and also not looking after your bike - bad maintenance including having a flat tire which can make a motorcyclist collide with another vehicle.
The most likely motorcyclist to have an accident is a male biker between the ages of 16-24 and also 50 percent of these accidents are with riders who have less than 5 months experience and this does include scooters. Bad weather only accounts for 2 percent of motorcycle accidents which is quite surprising.
For more information on motorcycle safety or statistics visit the NHTSA at www.nhtsa.dot.gov.
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