Using data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the National Safety Council (NSC) concluded that motorcyclists are disproportionately more likely to be injured or die in an accident than those using other vehicles. According to NSC, “Although motorcycles make up only 3% of all registered vehicles and 0.6% of all vehicle miles traveled in the United States, motorcyclists accounted for 14% of all traffic fatalities, 17% of all occupant fatalities, and 3% of all occupant injuries in 2019.”
In 2019, NHTSA concluded that 5,014 motorcyclists died in accidents, while another 84,000 motorcyclists sustained crash-related non-fatal injuries. During the same year, there were 2,676 motorcycle crashes resulting in 171 fatalities in Arizona.
But once we get behind those initially-shocking numbers, a more complicated picture emerges. So let’s look deeper at some studies to understand motorcycle injuries better.
Factors that Do—and Don’t—Predict Injury
There are some statistical mysteries researchers can’t yet explain. For example, the number of motorcycle owners has increased, but the total mileage driven has declined, as of the number of accidents (both fatal and non-fatal) during roughly that same timeframe.
And while most motorcycle accidents do not involve alcohol, there are more alcohol-related motorcycle fatalities.
There are also surprising factors that do, and do not, predict an injury accident. For example, most motorcycle accidents take place during the day, and the weather for 97% of accidents was clear or cloudy (not when it was stormy).
Clear weather conditions describe the vast majority of days in Arizona. Therefore, it is no surprise that motorcycle enthusiasts abound in the Grand Canyon State—the weather and scenic rides mean many motorcyclists are on the road all year. Unfortunately, it also means that Arizona has a high incidence of motorcycle accidents and injuries.
Sober driving and the good weather suggest that most motorcycle accidents are related to a driver’s poor choices—such as making a risky lane change that causes them to lose control—rather than external factors (such as an icy road) outside of a driver’s control.
Other factors that predict an increased likelihood of serious injury include:
- Not wearing a helmet
- Use of alcohol (especially at night)
- Age of the motorcyclist (senior riders are more physically vulnerable to serious injury, but young adults are more likely to take risks that lead to dangerous accidents)
- Speeding (including exceeding the posted limit, speeding in unsafe conditions, and racing)
- Urban environments (e.g., increased competing traffic)
- A history of convictions or license revocations relating to vehicle use (e.g., speeding, driving under the influence)
Understanding How Different Vehicles Impact Injuries
Beyond those commonalities, it’s important to understand what “motorcycle” means for this data. NHTSA groups a range of vehicles under the rubric of “motorcycle”: two- and three-wheeled motorcycles, off-road motorcycles, mopeds, scooters, mini bikes, and pocket bikes.
That should immediately raise some questions for motorcycle riders, such as “Do all of those have the same injuries? Different types of riders choose different vehicles. And riders don’t use those bikes the same way, so how does all of that impact injury?”
Those questions are valid.
Research has shown that the riders using the different types of bikes can have different injuries.
In one study, researchers looked at Hawaiian hospital admissions for those who sustained injuries while riding motorcycles, mopeds, and dirt bikes. The researchers found that motorcyclists sustained more grave injuries than those using mopeds and dirt bikes, and the severity of their injuries was more likely to lead to death.
The research team found that moped users were more likely to sustain head and facial injuries, but at least some of that was probably because moped users were less likely to wear helmets.
And in a comparison of trauma patients who had been in accidents while riding motorcycles, e-bikes, and bicycles, Swiss researchers observed that motorcyclists had a lower rate of facial injuries. But they were more likely to have lower extremity, thoracic, abdominal, and spinal injuries. E-bikers were more likely to sustain traumatic brain injury than those riding traditional bikes, even though the e-bikers were more frequently wearing helmets at the time of their accidents.
While e-bikers were more likely to sustain pelvic injuries, overall, their injury patterns were more similar to those with regular bikes than those riding motorcycles. Both were more likely to sustain upper extremity injuries, and their injuries were more likely to be treated without surgery.
By contrast, “Motorcyclists were found to have a hospital stay nearly twice as long (10 days) as compared to bicyclists (5 days) and E-bikers (6) days. The same pattern is seen for surgical procedures required (74%), and intensive care unit stay (ICU) required (29%).”
Different Uses for Motorcycles Impact Injuries
While the studies comparing vehicles provide little clarification as to whether or not the overall design contributes to injury, it is clear that who uses the vehicles and how they use their motorcycles both have a big impact on injury.
For example, there’s even a difference between the causes of accidents and the resulting injuries on off-road motorcycles, depending on whether someone’s using it in a rural off-road setting or on urban roads.
In an Australian study of accident patients seeking emergency medical care, those riding in rural areas were more likely to be wearing helmets and protective gear, and their accidents were usually caused by incidents such as falling off the bike or crashing into a tree.
Those using an off-road bike in an urban setting were less likely to be wearing helmets or protective gear, and their accidents were more likely to involve a collision with another vehicle. Therefore, they sustained more severe head trauma and injuries to their extremities.
When it comes to e-scooters, even the difference between using the road or the sidewalk can impact the severity of injuries. A study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety concluded that those who use e-scooters in the street were twice as likely to sustain serious injuries than those who used the scooters on the sidewalk. But the institute also expressed concern that using the sidewalk might increase the number of accidents that scooter-users have since they’d be more frequently tangling with pedestrians and more.
Old Town Scottsdale has seen a high number of e-scooter accidents in recent years; in fact, the city council has conducted studies to determine if limits, or outright bans of electric scooters, should be considered.
Contact an Arizona Motorcycle Injury Attorney
We’ve just scratched the surface regarding the elements that impact a motorcycle accident. But what we hope we’ve made clear is that, in a motorcycle accident, things can be more complicated than they first appear—and that can affect your ability to receive compensation for the accident. If you’ve been involved in a motorcycle accident, call Stewart Law Group to discuss your case. Contact our office (by phone at: 602-548-3400) for a confidential consultation with one of our attorneys. Don’t wait. Call today.
