When deciding if you should get a motorcycle after you’ve been driving a car, it’s important to consider all of the differences. There are different costs associated with owning a motorcycle, different rules you have to follow, and importantly, what happens should you find yourself in an accident. By knowing how motorcycle accidents and car accidents compare to one another, you can make a more informed decision on whether or not you want to get a motorcycle. Here are a few key comparisons.
The Causes of the Accident
When it comes to accidents, some of the causes for motorcycles and cars are similar. For instance, driving under the influence of alcohol and speeding account for 31 percent of fatal accidents each, combining to make up the majority of fatalities. Put another way, according to these Corpus Christi drunk driving motorcycle accident lawyers, “someone is hurt or killed in a drunk driving accident every 20 minutes in Texas.” Distracted driving adds in another 18 percent, which helps to account for most fatalities.
That being said, motorcycle users have other issues they need to worry about. For example, a car making a left-hand turn is the cause of 42 percent of accidents involving a car and a motorcycle. This can be because of several reasons, such as a motorcycle trying to pass or overtake a car. Motorcyclists are also more likely to die from colliding with a fixed object. Motorcyclists hitting a fixed object accounts for 25 percent of fatalities, compared to only 18 percent for cars.
Finally, motorcyclists have to worry more about hazards in the road. Since a motorcycle is less stable than a car, it is more prone to an accident as the result of bumps in the road, pot holes, or slippery conditions.
Types of Injuries
Motorcyclists have different injuries to worry about when they do get into an accident. For instance, people in a car are going to suffer injuries from air bags, while this isn’t a concern for motorcyclists. On the other hand, motorcyclists are more likely to get a concussion or suffer severe brain damage from their accident. Finally, motorcyclists are also more likely to get things like road rash or soft tissue damage, as a result of sliding along the ground.
The Number of Accidents
Motorcycles may be more dangerous when you do get into an accident, but are they more likely to get into one compared to a car? The numbers say yes. According to the NHTSA, 13 out of every 100,000 cars is involved in a fatal accident. For motorcycles the number is much higher – 72 out of every 100,000 bikes. In addition, motorcyclists are 35 times more likely to get into an accident for every mile traveled. When you look at the number of injuries or deaths from car accidents and compare them to motorcycle accidents, it may seem like cars are actually more dangerous. But when you factor in the number of cars vs the number of motorcycles, and look at the percentages, motorcycles are clearly the more dangerous mode of transportation.
Case Proceedings
Let’s say you do get into a motorcycle accident, and things proceed all the way to a court appearance. You need to make your case that you weren’t at fault, and to do this, you need to take a different approach than if you were in a car accident. Since most people do not drive motorcycles, what is common sense behavior to you may look reckless to someone else. For instance, motorcyclists know it’s easier to keep the bike steady at a higher speed, rather than slowing it down. But a jury member may only see a driver who is driving too fast to be safe. If you ever find yourself going to court because of a motorcycle accident, you’ll want to keep your jury’s prejudices in mind when making your case.
Damage to Property
Finally, when you get into a motorcycle accident, you may have more damage to repair compared to a car accident. A car that gets into a small fender-bender may be able to continue driving without extensive repairs. But you may need to spend some money in order to get your bike back in shape for the same sort of accident. Cars can withstand a little bit more of a beating, so this is another factor you’ll want to take into consideration.
It’s Important to Know the Differences
As you can see, getting into a car accident is not the same as getting into a motorcycle accident. There are plenty of differences, from the causes, to the likely injuries, to the proceeding court cases. Before you make any sort of decision on what type of transportation you want to use, it’s important to know all of the facts. Hopefully the above list will help you to make that decision and nothing will catch you by surprise.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
