Motorcycle crashes on the rise

New numbers from the Florida Department of Transportation show that the number of motorcycle crashes has increased by about 15 percent since statistics were last collected. An analysis of 2011 crash numbers revealed that 8,621 people were involved in motorcycle collisions during that year, demonstrating a marked increase over the previous 12-month period. This trend, a continuation of a decades-long increase in the number of motorcycle injuries and deaths, is troubling to local officials.

Researchers report that motorcycle registration in the state has more than doubled since 2000. Additionally, a new law that year allowed motorcycle riders over the age of 21 to ride without a helmet as long as they were covered by a minimum $10,000 insurance policy. These and other factors have combined to make Florida roads more deadly than ever for motorcycle riders.

Transportation data shows that about one in three motorcycle accidents is single-vehicle; that is, the rider causes the accident. The remaining collisions occur between a bike and another vehicle. In those cases, the automobile driver is at fault a whopping 60 percent of the time, according to estimates.

Car drivers are dangerous to motorcycle riders because many people in automobiles do not know to look for bikers. Not only are they unaware that motorcycles may be on the road, but they also underestimate how much operating space a motorcycle needs.

Victims of motorcycle crashes continue to look for answers in these senseless crashes; one collision in October 2011 left a Florida man's best friend and that man's fiance dead. The driver, age 19, was reportedly intoxicated at the time of the crash. Relatives are still reeling from the incident, which led to the violent and tragic deaths of both victims.

Individuals who have been injured in motorcycle accidents caused by another driver should seek assistance from a qualified litigation attorney. Civil actions can provide you with the money you need to pay for medical bills, funeral costs and other expenditures associated with the crash.

Source:  alligator.org, "Florida motorcycle crashes increase" Kathryn Varn, Apr. 24, 2013