Unlike passenger vehicle crashes, which have decreased throughout the United States in recent years, motorcycle accident statistics indicate the rate of fatal and serious injury-causing motorcycle accidents has only begun to drop after a decade-long rise between 1998 and 2008, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The IIHS’s statistics also indicate that some times, places, and riders are at a greater risk for dangerous accidents than others.
For instance, slightly more than half (55 percent) of motorcycle crashes in 2009 were part of a multiple-vehicle accident, meaning that the biker crashed with at least one other vehicle. Nearly three-quarters of all fatal bike crashes in 2009 happened between April and September, according to the NHTSA. July and August were the most dangerous months to ride with 13 percent of the total deaths apiece; the number of deaths shrank in December, January, and February, when riders in New Hampshire and other northern states often avoid the snowy and icy roads.
Older motorcyclists are also starting to suffer greater rates of injury and death than younger bikers. In 1975, over 80 percent of motorcycle crash deaths happened to people under age 30; today, 54 percent occur to riders who are 50 years of age or older. In all age groups, over 90 percent of men killed in bike accidents were driving at the time; over 65 percent of women who lost their lives were passengers.
At Tenn And Tenn, P.A., our experienced New Hampshire motorcycle accident lawyers also ride. We know firsthand the risks a biker faces, and we know how to turn that experience into effective representation on your behalf. To learn more about how we can help, call us today at (888) 332-5855. The initial telephone consultation is free, and anything we discuss is always kept confidential.