The unfortunate truth for motorcycle riders is that their vehicle of choice is quite dangerous. Studies have compared the fatal accident rates between motorcyclists and people riding in cars, trucks and other passenger vehicles. They found that motorcyclists have a fatality rate that is 29 times as high.
It’s somewhat difficult to comprehend how much greater this risk is. If someone told you that you were twice as likely to die if you took a certain action, you’d probably avoid it. But riding a motorcycle is vastly more dangerous than riding in a car, and yet people choose it every day. What is it that makes it so risky?
You’re at the mercy of other drivers
The problem is simply that a lot of motorcycle accidents are caused by other drivers. Since motorcyclists don’t have as much protection, even when wearing a helmet, they are much more likely to pass away in these accidents.
That doesn’t mean that motorcyclists themselves are dangerous. They’re not necessarily taking risks or making driving errors. But they’re at the mercy of the people around them on the road. Someone else who is negligent or reckless can cause a motorcycle to be involved in a crash that doesn’t injure the person in the car, but that does severely injure the person on the motorcycle. This pushes the fatality rate up so dramatically, even if motorcyclists do everything in their power to stay safe.
If you’ve lost a loved one in a motorcycle accident or suffered serious injuries yourself, then it may be time to start looking into your options to seek financial compensation. This can often help to cover things like medical bills, lost wages or even the cost of a funeral.