Motorcycle Accidents

If you see accident statistics, it will be the two wheeler accidents that take a lion share, and, sadly motorcycle crashes seem to be only on the rise every year. Brain injuries from motorcycle accidents are one of the leading causes of permanent disability and sometimes even sudden deaths across the world. Particularly in India, statistics reveal that almost 400,000 road accidents occur each year. WHO report predicts that by the year 2020, the major killer in India will be road accidents and will account to almost 546,000 deaths alone. In fact, the accident rate in India 35 per 1000 vehicles is one of the highest in the world.

Motorcycle accidents can lead to partial disability, permanent impairment of essential body organs and sometimes serious damage to the central nervous system leading to permanent amputation of limbs and in extreme cases paralysis as well. The severity of head injuries due to motorcycle accident depends on how speed the motorcycle was traveling at the time of the impact, as well as alcohol consumption of the driver and even the impact of the accident.

Most road crashes involve two wheeler accidents. The nature of the accident is mostly collision with another vehicle or some fixed object on the road. In most of these cases the rider loses complete control of the motorcycle. Rider’s fault in motorcycle accidents is one of the major causes of deaths and serious brain injuries but even bad road conditions and harsh weather can be contributing factors too. Fatal motorcycle accidents often show alcohol consumption by motorists.

Mostly serious brain damage in motorcycle accidents is caused due to no helmet wearing. Despite reports of mandatory use of safety helmets at the time of motorcycle riding, in most cases it has been found that riders are not using them. It has been found that there is an inverse relationship between use of helmets and motorcyclist death and injuries.

Again, in many motorcycle accidents approximately 25 percent is due to negotiating the curves and intersection on roads at breakneck speed. Statistical evidence claims that 60 percent of motorcycle fatalities occur during night when visibility is low.

When motorcycle accidents lead to fatal situations it has been found that in 40 percent cases the other colliding vehicle was turning left while the motorcycle was driving straight. This clearly indicates that whenever there is any intersection, the riders need to be extra cautious and vigilant as well as needs to be proactive to overcome obstacles if any. Riding motorcycles with a basic riders’ course is very important and safety tip. Speed limits must always be obeyed and responsible driving is the need of the hour to save lives and reduce accidents.