Overall, traffic fatalities decreased from 2005 to 2010. But the numbers of fatal motorcycle crashes have increased in 14 of the last 15 years according to a recent study by the Governors Highway Safety Association.
Our Galveston motorcycle accident attorneys point out that while the number of fatal motorcycle wrecks in the United States was around 4,200 in 2009, it had increased to almost 5,000 in 2011. And in the 9 months from January 2012 to September 2012, preliminary data showed about 4,000 fatal motorcycle crashes with the number for the entire year of 2012 likely to mount to 5,000 or more.
In that first 9 months of 2012, Texas led the nation in the number of fatal motorcycle wrecks with 358. California followed with 318. Florida ranked third with 287. The Governors Highway Safety Association indicates that year-round warmer weather in these states, coupled with higher gas prices leading people to seek more fuel-efficient forms of transportation, might cause more motorcycle riders to be on the roads in these three states.
The Galveston motorcycle accident attorneys at Denena Points, PC emphasize that a motorcycle is more complicated to operate than a car. The rider has more parts to manipulate in order to ride safely. A biker’s risk of being killed in a fatal traffic accident is 30 times greater than that of a car occupant. But simply wearing a good motorcycle helmet can reduce a biker’s fatal risk by 40%. (Sources: Governors Highway Safety Association; and Ray Reyes, Tampa Tribune, 4/27.13)
The Governors Highway Safety Association (the GHSA) offers the following 5 tips to help reduce your chances of a fatal motorcycle crash:
Click the link to read our Galveston motorcycle accident attorneys’ article about a recent fatal motorcycle wreck and what caused it in Vidor, Texas.