Motorcycle Accidents

Motorcycle Accidents Overview

Over 4 million motorcycles are registered in the United States, and motorcycles are especially popular for recreation and transportation in Southern California. Motorcycles are fun to drive, they offer excellent fuel efficiency, and can be less expensive to buy than a car. Motorcycles are also significantly more dangerous than cars, and motorcyclists may become seriously injured or killed in collisions with cars and trucks. Motorcyclists comprise just two percent of all registered vehicles in the United States, yet approximately five percent of all highway fatalities each year involve motorcyclists and their passengers.

A collision between a vehicle and a motorcycle driver is a gravely unequal contest. In contrast to cars and trucks a motorcycle itself provides virtually no protection in a crash. In a motorcycle accident, the motorcyclist’s injuries are likely to be far more serious than those of the vehicle’s occupants.
Even when motorcyclists and their passengers use safety equipment such as a helmet and protective clothing, they may become injured as a result of faulty highway design, or because of defective safety equipment, or a malfunction of the motorcycle.