Cruising along the highway in the great state of Indiana can be exciting, but it can also put you in danger. The lack of protection and vulnerability mean that motorcyclists are often more likely to suffer serious injuries and fatalities in an accident than passenger vehicles. In fact, the Insurance Information Institute has released the most common factors that may cause you to end up in a fatal motorcycle accident.
Thousands of people are killed in motorcycle accidents each year and, while it is difficult to point to any one factor, many of the 4,796 motorcycle deaths of 2015 can be blamed on a few major causes. First is licensing. If you are driving a motorcycle without having completed adequate training, you may become a part of the 27 percent of fatal accidents that involved improper licensing.
While knowing what you are doing is a big factor, going too fast may be the largest. A whopping 33 percent of accidents that resulted in motorcyclist deaths involved drivers who had been speeding. This high number is often dependent on the type of bike that is being ridden. “Super sports” motorcycles, those that are designed for racing but adjusted for road use, are involved in four times as many fatal accidents as those involving other types of bikes. In 57 percent of these cases, speed was a factor.
Drunk driving is another common cause of deadly accidents. In 2015, intoxicated riders were involved in 27 percent of fatal crashes, showing how important it is for you to avoid alcohol if you will be driving. This information is intended to educate and should not be taken as legal advice.