The simple answer to this question is yes, motorbike accidents are more common than other types of road traffic accidents. According to a survey carried out by the BBC, using figures from 1999 to 2010, people riding motorbikes only make up 1% of all road traffic, yet they still represent a huge 21% of all fatalities caused by road traffic accidents. Put simply, this means that the casualty rate for people riding motorbikes and their passengers is 61 times higher than it is for people in cars.
There are several reasons for this, some obvious, some not so obvious. The obvious reason lies with the actual physical construction of a motorbike. Whilst car drivers are protected by the rigid steel frame of their vehicle, and by more recent advances such as anti-lock braking, crumple zones and airbags, people riding motorbikes are much more at the mercy of the elements. If you fall off a motorbike then there’s nothing, except for your crash helmet, between you and the hard road surface and if you’re travelling at speed then this could result in serious injury.
The other factor to take into account is the attitude which other road users sometimes adopt towards people on motorbikes. The relative small size of a motorbike makes it vulnerable to an impact from a car, and also makes it more likely that a driver might fail to spot it in the first place.
Bearing all of this in mind, if you are a motorbike rider who’s been injured in a road traffic accident which wasn’t your fault then you’ve every right to make a claim for compensation. A personal injury solicitor will take the details of your accident, the injuries you’ve sustained and the expenses you’ve incurred and will use them to build the strongest possible case.
