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Knowing what most often causes motorcycle
accidents can alert you to how you can best avoid having
one. While there are some factors, such as your age, that you
can't do much about, awareness of the common factors can inspire
you to avoid being yet another grim statistic.
About three out of four motorcycle accidents involve another
vehicle, most often a passenger car. Most accidents happen
at intersections, when a motorist who fails to see the motorcyclist
turns left in front of the motorcycle and at speeds under
30mph. Contributing to the accident is the motorcyclist's
over reliance on the rear brake instead of swerving or otherwise
practicing defensive driving.
Alcohol use is a common factor in accidents,
and the failure to wear a proper helmet and clothing significantly
result in more serious injuries. Helmets reduce the severity
of head
and neck injuries, and sturdy boots, gloves, and
jackets can lessen scrapes, lacerations, and abrasions.
Riding experience has measurable effects, especially experience
on your particular bike. No matter the rider's overall
experience, which averages close to three years, over
half of motorcycle accidents occur when the motorcyclist
has less than five month's experience on their bike. |
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About one-quarter of all motorcycle accidents involve just
the bike, and two-thirds of those are caused by rider error.
The most common error is a slideout and fall, most often caused
by overbraking or running wide on a curve because the rider
was going too fast.
| External factors, such as motorcycle failure,
flat tires, potholes in the roadway, animals, or weather
are only infrequently the cause of a motorcycle accident.
While it may seem to be pretty common, hostility toward
the motorcyclist is only a rare cause. |
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Over ninety percent of motorcycle accident victims, as of
1981, were untrained, being only self-taught or learning from
family or friends. Motorcycle rider training statistically
reduces involvement in accidents and is related to reduced
injuries even when an accident happens.
Whatever the cause, nearly all motorcycle accidents result in
injury, and nearly half of those are more than minor. Since
medical
costs and liability questions are common, an experienced
motorcycle accident attorney can be very helpful in dealing
with post-accident issues.
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