100% Free Consultation
718-539-3100
menu
100% Free Consultation
718-539-3100
menu

Officials Still Concerned about High Number of Fatal Motorcycle Accidents

4,381 people died in motorcycle accidents across the United States in 2013, a slight drop from the year before (4.695), but still significantly higher than 1997, when only 2,056 motorcyclists were killed in traffic accidents.

A study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found that as the total number of fatal traffic accidents has dropped dramatically, from over 42,000 in 1997 to less than 33,000 in 2013, the number of motorcycle-related deaths has gone up and remains high. In 1997, motorcyclists were involved in only 5% of all fatal traffic accidents. Over the last six years, bikers have accounted for approximately one in eight fatal crashes.

The study found that just over four of every ten fatal motorcycle accidents involved only the motorcyclist, a statistic that researchers say is essentially unchanged over the last 30 years. The average age of those killed in motorcycle accidents has steadily risen over the same time period, though. Between 1975 and 1985, nearly 80 percent of all motorcycle fatalities involved riders under the age of 30, and about three percent involved riders over the age of 50. During the last five years, the percentage of motorcycle deaths involving riders over the age of 50 has actually surpassed the percentage of deaths involving riders under the age of 30. In 2013, 34% of all motorcycle accident fatalities involved riders over the age of 50, and only 27% involved bikers under the age of 30.

Fatal motorcycle accidents overwhelming take the lives of men. In 2013, less than 10% of the deaths reported from motorcycle crashes were of women. Furthermore, statistics show that 61% of the women who died in motorcycle wrecks were passengers.
Contact Sackstein Sackstein & Lee, LLP

To set up an appointment with an experienced New York motorcycle accident injury lawyer, contact our office online or call us toll free at 888-519-6400. Your first consultation is free of charge.

National Study Indicates Graduated License Law Saves Lives

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), teenagers have the most significant risk of being involved in an accident. Researchers cite the lack of experience, leading young drivers to improperly gauge both their skills behind the wheel and the dangers they face. In a recent IIHS study, officials found that instituting a graduated licensing system led to nearly a 30% reduction in teen traffic accidents in some jurisdictions.

Every state currently has some form of graduated drivers license (GDL) program for teen drivers. Typically, it involves limited driving after dark, restrictions on how many other teens may be in a car driven by a teen, and minimum requirements of adult-supervised driving. Some jurisdictions set a higher age for young drivers to get learner permits or full driving privileges. Officials say that, though teens may express frustration at not getting full driving privileges, the statistics show that everyone benefits when teens have the opportunity to build their skills in safer conditions. They note that those states with the strongest laws have experienced the most significant reductions in teen motor vehicle accidents.

In its study, the IIHS looked at statistics from all 50 states, and categorized each state’s GDP system as good, fair, marginal or poor, based on five criteria:

The age at which a teen may obtain a learner’s permit
The number of supervised practice hours required
The age at which a teen obtains full driving privileges
The existence and time of the nightly curfew for teen drivers
Whether the state law allowed a teen to have any teen passengers

GDL laws rated as good produced, on average, a 30% reduction in accidents involving 15-17-year-old drivers. GDL laws listed as fair were tied to about a 10% reduction.
Contact Our Office

To set up an appointment with an experienced New York motor vehicle accident injury lawyer, contact our office online or call us toll free at 888-519-6400. Your first consultation is free of charge.

Copyright © 2024 Sackstein Sackstein & Lee, LLP All Rights Reserved Powered By Gravimetric.
linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram