Motorcycle Accident Information & Motorcycle Accident Lawyers In Montana

Nationwide, motorcycle accidents have increased every year for the past nine years. In 2006 there were 4,576 motorcycle accidents that ended in fatality. In 2005 there were 4,810. In Montana, though, the number of fatalities actually decreased from 28 deaths in 2005 to 26 in 2006. The 28 deaths in Montana made up11.2 percent of the deaths from all vehicle accidents in 2005. The 26 deaths represented 9.9 percent in 2006. Since motorcycle riders make up only two to four percent of the drivers on the road, this means that motorcycle fatalities are over represented in the statistics.

Motorcycles are inherently less safe than other vehicles on the road. Not only must you balance on two wheels, there is no way to add many common safety features found in automobiles. If you tried to add a roof, seatbelts and air bags to a motorcycle, you would no longer have a motorcycle. Single vehicle accidents make up one-fourth of all the motorcycle accidents that occur. In those accidents there is a 96 percent chance of injury and a 45 percent chance of severe injury. Multi-vehicle accidents make up the other three-quarters of the accidents. In those collisions, riders are going to be injured 98 percent of the time.

There are many factors that can be involved in any accident. The most common factor in the single vehicle accident is inexperience and under training. Most of the riders that are involved in a crash have less than five months of experience with the bike. 92 percent of these riders are also either self taught or taught to ride by family and friends. Weather seems to be involved in only a small percentage of the total, about two percent. Approximately three percent of the accidents involve some from of road hazard like potholes and animals in the roadway. Another three percent can be directly linked to some type of vehicle failure such a flat tire or stalled engine.

In multi-vehicle accidents, most of the drivers of the other vehicle claim not to have seen the bike soon enough to avoid the accident, or not to have seen the bike at all. Motorcycles present a much slimmer profile to other drivers than standard four wheeled autos. Anything can easily make a bike invisible to another driver. If the other driver is distracted by anything else in their surroundings, they are not going to see an oncoming rider. Intersections are the most dangerous locations for motorcyclists. Most often, the driver of car or truck will violate the rider’s right-of-way and cause a collision. Motorcyclists must always keep their mind on the road and other drivers around them.

All riders under the age of eighteen and those with only a learner’s permit must wear a safety helmet at all times. All others are allowed to make their own choice as to whether they wish to wear a helmet or eye protection. When making these decisions, it is important to keep a few statistics in mind. 73 percent of riders involved in an accident were not wearing any type of eye protection. It is believed that wind may have caused the rider’s eyes to tear up and impair their vision. While 1,658 lives were saved by helmets in 2006, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that another 752 lives could have been saved with some sort of protective head gear.
To be allowed to legally ride a motorcycle in Montana, you first possess a valid driver’s license. Then you must pass a five part examination. The five parts are a review of your driving record; a review of your physical ability to ride; a vision test; a knowledge test; and, finally, a road skills test.

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