Although motorcycle crashes only account for about 4 percent of all crashes with vehicles in the United States it not something to be happy about because of all the deaths in those accidents they bring in a staggering 10 percent and another 7 percent for injuries. What makes it even more sad is that most of those accidents are not so difficult to avoid if only some very simple guidelines were followed.



Clearing up some myths

A mistake most people make is that they think that most crashes with motorcycles are the cause of the other vehicles. This is not true. When we take a look at the numbers from 2000 up to 2004 we see that about 63 percent of all the crashes that involved motorcycles are crashes with one vehicle or the motorcyclist was the cause of the crash. This means that with almost two thirds of all the crashes, where a motorcycle was involved, the cause of that accident could be contributed to the rider.

Another myth is that most crashes happen at night. Data from the same time period used above shows us that more then seventy percent of the crashes happened during daytime.

Some people seem to think that the majority of the crashes are because of high speeds. Although the crashes that occur because of high speeds often do results in deaths most of the crashes happen at more or less lower speeds of 40 miles or less per hour. So you see that a motorcycle is still dangerous even if the speed is relatively low. A lot of the riders think that can react very quick with their bikes so they stop being cautious at these lower speeds. They also take more risks and these factors together result in more accidents.

Let's look at some more numbers just to take away some more myths. One tenth of vehicle registration are by younger motorcyclists but they take up one third of all the crashes. These numbers maybe alarming but more disconcerting are the numbers of crashes where alcohol is involved. Driving any vehicle while you have been drinking alcoholic beverages is dangerous and stupid, riding a motorcycle while intoxicated is more so.

Motorcycle Safety, these are the three keys

Riding a motorcycle in a save way is not that difficult if you keep these three keys in mind.

Key 1

You should not consume alcohol and then ride a motorcycle.

Key 2

Keep in mind that even at low speeds your vehicle is still deadly.

Key 3

Be ware of your surroundings, most accidents are caused by the rider and not the other vehicles.

If you keep these 3 keys in mind and make sure that all safety precautions are taken than riding a motorcycle can be a fun thing to do. If it is for your daily commute to work or just for your own pleasure, riding a motorcycle is something you should enjoy without having to think of all the possible accidents you could have. Just make sure that you are safe.