According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 38 motorcyclists died in the District and the nearby jurisdictions in 2008. Now, according to Peter Horst of the American Motorcyclist Association, this figure is expected to grow for 2009.
Just this month, three motorcyclists were killed within a 36-hour period in traffic collisions involving other vehicles. With the economy being as bad as it is, motorcycle sales may have gone down, but riders who already have their bikes have been hitting the roads on them in an effort to save money on gas.
In 2008, the number of injuries and deaths for every motor vehicle category dropped—except for in the US motorcycle accident category, that is. Washington DC, Virginia, and Maryland may have stayed counter to that trend last year—but as our DC accident lawyers reported earlier in this blog post, the figures this year are expected to be different.
Common causes of Washington DC 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 DC traffic crash.
Frequently, injuries from a DC 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