Personal Injury Blog

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Releases Motorcycle Safety Studies

April 1st, 2010

The increasing rate of motorcycle accident fatalities in California has been a source of great concern to the state’s motorcycle accident lawyers and motorcycle groups.  This week, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released the results of studies which show that motorcyclists may have a lower chance of being involved in an accident if their motorcycles come equipped with anti-lock braking systems.

Anti-lock brakes prevent the wheels from being locked when the motorcyclist applies the brakes. When the wheels are locked, it can increase the chance of the motorcycle flipping over, with potentially deadly consequences for the motorcyclist. Anti-lock braking systems prevent this. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has found that the risk of being involved in an accident decreases by 37% when the motorcycle is equipped with anti-lock brakes.

The findings were further supported by a study conducted by the Highway Loss Data Institute. This study found that motorcycles equipped with anti-lock brakes were involved in far fewer insurance claims, than motorcycles that do not come with these. The two studies seem to indicate that one of the answers to the recent number of motorcycle crash fatalities in California could be equipping motorcycles with anti-lock brakes.

Obviously, anti-lock brakes will not prevent every motorcycle accident. But they can be useful when a motorcyclist has to brake suddenly to avoid an object or a vehicle. A motorcycle with anti-lock brake systems is less likely to flip over, and cause serious injuries. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, approximately 60 new models of motorcycles come equipped with these anti-lock brakes.

Another study conducted by the Highway Loss Data Institute found that motorcycle riders in states that have mandatory motorcycle helmet laws are less likely to file claims after an accident compared to states that do not have such laws. This could be linked to the reduced risk of head injury when a motorcyclist is wearing a helmet, compared to a motorcyclist who is not.

Yet another study conducted by the Highway Loss Data Institute indicates that state provided motorcyclist safety training may not be that much of a factor in preventing motorcycle crashes and fatalities. California motorcycle accident lawyers have been very supportive of training for motorcyclists as a means to reduce accident fatalities However, the Highway Loss Data Institute study shows that in states that require motorcycle training for drivers below the age of 21 before they begin riding, the rate of accidents is actually higher than in states that do not have such requirements in place.

There could be an explanation for this.  Motorcyclists may be eligible for a full license once they complete the training course. This means that many motorcycle riders below 21 years of age are able to begin riding as soon as they complete the training course for a few weeks, and get their license. These motorcyclists may lack the experience necessary to ride safely on California’s streets.  Perhaps the solution could lie in having a graduated licensing program for motorcyclists, similar to the one that motorists have.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of motorcycle accidents. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.

The Reeves Law Group is not representing any party in the matters discussed in this posting.

Posted by Robert Reeves at 5:02 pm: 1 comment

One response to “Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Releases Motorcycle Safety Studies”

  1. Gus Servano writes:

    I have found the following write-up to be tremendously interesting. Thank you for publishing it.

    @ July 6th, 2010 at 07:49

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