Motorcycles – How Dangerous Are They? Very.

August 13, 2020, Kitchener, Ontario

Posted by: Robert Deutschmann, Personal Injury Lawyer

It turns out they are very dangerous. In Ontario the Canadian Medical Association reports that accidents involving motorcycles (including motor scooters and motorized bicycles) cause 10% of motor vehicle deaths in the province although they only account for 2% of the vehicles on the roadways.

Study Lays Out the Facts

The study was conducted by the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre the largest trauma centre in Canada (November 2017 in the CMAJ). It analysed the costs of motorcycle crashed to the Ontario health care system. The conclusions were sad but not unexpected.

Motorcycle crashes:

• Cost Ontario healthcare system six times what car crashes do
• They cause 10 times the severe injuries of car crashes
• They account for five times the deaths of car accidents

 “The cause for alarm is that when you do get into an accident, the results of a motorcycle collision are much more devastating. Some specific injuries, which we see clinically, are really bad extremity injuries, mangled extremities, bad chest injuries. Since the average motorcycle travels one fifth the amount of the average car, multiply these numbers by five to estimate injuries, deaths and costs per kilometer travelled.” said Dr. Daniel Pincus, author of the study, PhD candidate and orthopaedic resident.  

The study was based on data from 2007-2013. In that period almost 27,000 people were hurt in motorcycle accidents compared to 282,000 people in car collisions. Motorcycles have always been more dangerous than cars due to the inherent design (no safety cage for the rider). What researchers didn’t know was the true cost of the accidents.

Of the nearly 500 motor vehicle deaths on Ontario roads between 2013-2017 motorcycles accounted for 50 for the deaths.

Costs of Motorycle Accidents

The study also notes that the real cost of motorcycle injuries is much higher since according to the study “There is no reliable estimate of medical costs incurred by motorcycle crashes. Previous calculations of medical costs attributable to motorcycle crashes are limited to reviews of hospital charges at single centres. Estimates derived from these reviews are incomplete, neglecting costs incurred after a patient’s discharge”.

Many factors play into motorcycle safety and high death and severe traumatic injury rates. According to FortNine, in Ontario

• Half of all motorcycle accidents involve riders who have been riding for less than 5 months

• Alcohol was a factor in 25% of motorcycle deaths 2008-2014
• Speed is a top contributing factor in 12% of the deaths
• Taking motorcycle training courses and refreshers reduces your chance of accident
• Wearing a helmet is 37% effective in preventing fatality and wearing a full face helmet offer 61.4% more protection than half helmets
• Wearing armoured jackets and pants offer more protection than street clothes.
• Motorcycles with ABS are 375 less likely to be in a fatal collision. Machines with traction control offer even more protection.

If you or a loved one is injured or dies as a result of a motorcycle accident you need an experienced personal injury lawyer to make sure you get the compensation you deserve and the benefits to ensure you recover from your injuries. Contact us for a free initial consultation.

About Deutschmann Law

Deutschmann Law serves South-Western Ontario with offices in Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, Woodstock, Brantford, Stratford and Ayr. The law practice of Robert Deutschmann focuses almost exclusively in personal injury and disability insurance matters. For more information, please visit www.deutschmannlaw.com or call us at 1-519-742-7774.

It is important that you review your accident benefit file with one of our experienced personal injury / car accident lawyers to ensure that you obtain access to all your benefits which include, but are limited to, things like physiotherapy, income replacement benefits, vocational retraining and home modifications.