Motorcycle deaths down in 2017, but not by much

Deaths in motorcycle crashes dropped 6 percent nationwide in 2017, but they’re significantly higher than deaths in car accidents. In 2018, Forbes reported that motorcycle riders are killed 28 times more often in accidents than people in cars.

 

The number of motorcycle deaths in Missouri is accelerating

 

Missourinet, a statewide news agency reported motorcycle deaths were at an “all-time high” in the state in 2017 after 23 motorcycle riders were killed in Missouri in the first four months of 2017. On 2018, The Saint Louis Post Dispatch reported four motorcycle riders were killed in and around St. Louis during the month of May. May is National Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. The riders died on May 2, May 9, May 13 and May 27.

 

Older riders are dying at much higher rates

 

There is no denying the “escapist appeal” of riding a motorcycle, according to Consumer Reports. The “allure of the open road, the engine’s rumble, the wind in riders’ faces, and the camaraderie, lifestyle and spirit of adventure” that are part of motorcycle culture, attract riders of every age. But the appeal on older riders can easily become fatal.

Baby boomers were the largest cohort of population in the U.S. in history. Between 1946 and 1964, 76 million boomers were born in America after WWII. In 2018, The Chicago Tribune called the risks that these older riders face “the perils of nostalgia.” “Lookin’ for adventure,” like actors in the hit 1969 movie “Easy Rider,” is killing them. According to the Tribune, riders who were 29 years old or younger died in motorcycle wrecks 80% of the time in 1975. In 2018, 35% of the riders who were killed were 50 years old and older.

According to The Tribune, boomers quit riding in their 20s to raise families. The motorcycles they’re jumping back on in retirement are bigger and more powerful than those they rode when they were young. They’re harder to operate for people with skills that have “eroded” over the years. The Missouri Department of Transportation’s highway safety director told The Tribune, it’s not safe for riders to “jump on a Harley if they haven’t ridden a bike for 30 years.”

Road rash, broken bones, dismemberment, bruising, internal bleeding, dislocated eyeballs and death are common in all motorcycle wrecks. Medical expenses, rehabilitation, property damage, and lost wages cost $16 billion in 2018, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

 

The injured can get expert legal help from this motorcycle rider

 

Insurance claims have gone up in recent years due to the big increase in all traffic accidents. When claims rise, insurance companies try to avoid or delay paying claimants in order to protect their profits. Wayne Wright knows how to get around all their tricks on behalf of his clients. He is one of America’s top trial lawyers. His national legal awards are based on the big amounts he consistently wins for clients. He doesn’t charge by the hour and calls and evaluations are free. You will only pay when he wins your case.