According to a report from the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), 2008 saw a total of 38 motorcycle riders killed in the District of Columbia and other nearby jurisdictions. Most recently, Peter Horst of the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) says his organization anticipates this figure will balloon in 2009.
Already this August, three motorcyclists died in less than two days as a result of multiple-vehicle traffic accidents. Although the economy has caused a decrease in the sales of motorcycles, riders who have bikes are using them more than usual in an effort to save on gas money.
For 2008, the number of U.S. traffic injuries and fatalities for every motor vehicle category dropped — all except the motorcycle accident category. Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. may have bucked the trend last year, but as our D.C. accident lawyers reported earlier in this post the total for 2009 is expected to be greater.
Common causes of Washington, D.C. motorcycle injuries and deaths include:
• Driver inexperience
• Driver inattention
• Alcohol
• Miscalculation
• Road defects
• Defective motorcycle parts
Like pedestrians and bicyclists, motorcyclists are more vulnerable than motor vehicle occupants, truck drivers, and bus passengers because they only have their gear as protection from the impact of a D.C. traffic crash.
Frequently, injuries from a D.C. motorcycle crash are catastrophic. If you believe there may be another driver or another party who can be held liable for personal injury or wrongful death, our Washington DC personal injury would like to talk to you.
Motorcycle Crash Facts
• 5,154 motorcyclists died in 2007.
• The number of motorcycle deaths increase each year.
• In 2007, about 123,000 motorcycles were involved in US traffic crashes.
• For every vehicle mile traveled in 2006, motorcycle riders had a 35 times greater chance of dying in a traffic accident than motor vehicle riders.
Motorcycle Deaths in Area Raise Concerns, The Washington Post, August 24, 2009
Motorcycle Crashes, Insurance Information Institute, April 2009