How Many Motorcycle Accidents Are Caused By Cars? The reasons

Are you wondering what percentage of motorcycle accidents are caused by cars? In this article, I’m not going to be composed only by telling the statistics; we’ll also discuss the reason for passenger cars to make relatively more fatalities involved in motorcycle accidents and a lot more.

Yes, motorcycle accidents are indeed widely caused by cars. Not those heavy cars, light passenger cars are mainly involved most of the time. Even a fatal accident is always not the end; most bikers also end up not getting compensated by the opposite party. But why do motorists always have to bear the consequences?

Sometimes, getting insurance becomes equally harder for a motorcyclist. But why most of the time, bikers?

No worries! We will be explaining these reasons according to analysis, comparison, and exciting facts.

Just sit back and relax. Keep reading to explore a world of possibilities.

What statistic says the “Percentage of motorcycle accidents caused by cars”?

Indiana University Public Policy Institute has disclosed a study recently 55% to 60% of motorcycle accidents in the U.S. annually involve more than one vehicle. However, roughly 40% to 45% of accidents only apply to motorcycles.

Louisiana, South Carolina, and Mississippi states contain the highest rate of motorcycle fatalities. And in these states, the percentage of motorcycle accidents caused by cars is relatively higher. 

Sadly, motorcycle fatalities have increased by 9% from 2019 to 2020 and by 17% compared to 2010 in the U.S.

While most motorcycle crashes may occur due to cars’ faults, cars are not always responsible. Sometimes, the motorcyclist also makes grave mistakes.

The traffic investigation report says that more than 40% of motorcycle accidents occur due to another motorist’s fault. At the same time, about 30% of accidents happen because of the motorist himself.

But why specifically are motorcycle accidents caused by cars?

The straightforward answer is that cars are more available than motorcycles. According to statistics by statists, motorcycle registration in the U.S. was 8.2 million in 2020.

But the number of registered vehicles was 286.9 million. That means cars are almost 35 times more than motorcycles.

So typically, it means that cars will be involved in most accidents.

Why are motorcycle injuries grave most of the time?

Reason 1 is that motorcycles don’t have the same or even a closer protective system as a car. Motorcycles are, therefore, more sensitive to accidents and cause serious injuries. 

For example, If a car runs over someone, the car driver would not get any injury or harm. But what happens if you accidentally run over someone as a motorcyclist? You will be severely injured, too, besides the pedestrian you hit. If the court proves your negligence, you’ll have to bear all accident-related costs for you and the pedestrian.

According to a rep (NHTSA), a motorist was 27 times more likely to die than someone riding another vehicle.

Also, an official from NHTSA said that “motorcycles are one of the vehicles which cause suffering and pain more than any other vehicles.”

A study has clarified the above statement more efficiently. It says motorists are involved in anywhere between 3 to 4 percent of traffic accidents annually. But they suffer more than 17% of all accident facilities each year.

A slight mistake can relatively cause more significant problems when riding a motorcycle. But cars are 60% more secure than a motorcycle due to the protective system surrounding the metal body, airbag, and other security measurements. Sometimes, the chances of surviving a motorcycle accident become lower!

So, motorcycles are prone to accidents because of their sensitive nature. But this is never the main reason! There are plenty of motorcyclists who drive safely but go through an accident due to the fault of other vehicles.

A portion of motorcycle riders doesn’t obey the laws!

Motorcyclists often do not maintain the required protocol to avoid accidents. Multiple sources claim that motorists are relatively more negligent than other drivers.

There are must follow safety measurements in the U.S.:

• According to federal law, motorcyclists under 18 must wear safety and eye protection. The minimum requirements for the equipment vary from state to state. Check your state requirements and follow accordingly.
• Motorists must not overtake certain roads like school areas, hospitals, or cantonments. If the court finds you under the mentioned circumstances, your case will be light.
• Optimize the fitness of the motorbike with your state’s requirements and instructions. Otherwise, there are serious charges with fitness conditions.

Why do passenger cars involve in most motorcycle accidents caused by vehicles?

If a motorcyclist gets injured in an accident, there may be several reasons for the tragedy. If you learn these reasons, you can determine who is at fault quickly without hassle. 

And these lessons will help you find out who is eligible for compensation or insurance. Let’s take a look at some Craziest Car & Motorcycle Crashes Compilation so that we can gather some practical knowledge regarding how fatal a motorcycle accident can be?

Now, let’s discuss some of the common reasons for car and motorcycle collisions:

Abrupt lane changing is a vital reason for motorcycle accidents caused by cars

Vehicles, including passenger cars, trucks, and buses, change lanes without noticing the motorcyclist close.

As a result, the car and motorcycle collapsed accident while moving. In this case, the vehicle driver is apparent at fault.

Suppose a bike unexpectedly hits a vehicle due to lane changing, and other vehicle drivers witnesses the matter. In that case, the biker should file a claim against the driver and seek insurance.

They are not following traffic signs properly.

Drivers often fail to follow the traffic signs (e.g., stop, stand, turn, speeding limit.), which causes a motorcycle not to understand what the car is trying to do.

Newbie drivers may not be able to follow proper road instructions, and as a result, the sufferer becomes the motorist.

For instance, an accident occurred in SR-7, San Diego, CA, a week ago. I have seen this accident. A passenger car vehicle suddenly stopped at a no-stop sign. An imminent motorist failed to notice the car and hit him.

Later, I learned that the passenger car that stopped at a forbidden place filed a lawsuit against the motorist claiming the motorist hit him. But in reality, it was entirely the cars’ fault!

Whether it is the car driver or the motorist — anyone who makes mistakes in following traffic laws will face legal implications if proven.

Violating traffic rules 

The driver is speeding, misbehaving in the street, under the influence, or driving recklessly. These willingly doing activities will result in a situation that may lead to a collision with the motorists on the road.

In such cases, the law will consider the driver as committing manslaughter. The state will allow the opposite party of the driver to show evidence. Afterward, the court will oblige the driver to compensate the injured party.

Left turns or U-turns

A driver crosses the traffic and takes left-hand turns all of a sudden. It leads the motorcyclist to strike the vehicle and end up having injured.

Although the driver might stay safe and the car only may get a curve, leaving the driver bloody in the middle of the streets.

Hit and run

Most motorcyclists die because the opposite party leaves them alone after hitting. If the driver stops and calls the police and medical emergency after an accident, the injured party could have a chance of living an extended period.

The state law seriously sees drivers for hit & run. It’s a grave mistake, and the civil court takes the file as a manslaughter case. But there are some activities you can perform if the vehicle that hit you runs away.

Therefore, no one should ever disregard others’ life and take necessary steps after an accident. The federal law acknowledges that the court gives a lenient punishment to the at-fault party if they take the necessary steps after an accident.

Single motorcycle crash reasons (Accidents that happen without contacting other vehicles)

When the motorcycle is only involved in an accident, other drivers might still be responsible for their negligence.

Although the scenario of such a motorcycle accident looks like the motorcycle is the only responsible, there are plenty of more reasons too, including:

• Lane maintenance failure: The driver swerved into the motorcycles’ lane without allowing the bike to notice the matter and control himself. Ultimately, the bike crashes far away without even contacting the other vehicle.
• Faulty road system: Debris in the roadway, significant potholes, faulty traffic lights, or other road problems cause the motorcycle to lose control. There are plenty of red-spotted roads that become damaged in certain parts frequently.
• Motorcycle defect: unknown defects that happened due to repairing or other structure-related problems can cause a single person crash. These defects include brake fail, tire puncher, hydraulic faults, etc.
• Animals in the road: Animals in the road: Not all animals, but some known animals like deer, dogs, or cats can appear on roadways. If so happens, the motorist may end up swerving and losing control.

For instance, a dog appeared in front of you while driving, causing you to fail to control, and eventually, you swerved and hit another vehicle close.

How would you prove that it was not your fault? The dog won’t stay there as evidence for long. That’s why single-vehicle-involved accidents are more complex to handle when seeking compensation.

You will be eligible for insurance or compensation once you prove the other vehicles’ or animals’ fault for your accident.

Though not as common as other vehicle accidents, motorcycle accidents can be shocking and frightening.

Several studies have shown some crucial facts and interesting statistics regarding motorcycle accidents. These facts are also one of the reasons why Motorcycle Accidents are Caused By Cars most time. Let’s read them below:

•  Approximately 75% of motorcycle accidents occur involving other passenger car vehicles. And we have already explained why passenger cars are often more included.
• Around 25% of motorcycle accidents involve the motorcycle only. And fighting these cases is more complex for both the attorney and the victim.
• Vehicle failure is the most uncommon reason for an accident. Vehicle failure accounts for more than 3% of motorcycle crashes. The motorist can file a lawsuit against the dealer who sold the motorcycle if he finds any built-in error in the vehicle.
• In the case of single-vehicle accidents, around half of the accidents occur due to passenger vehicles’ fault.
• Single vehicle (motorcycle) accidents include causes of slide-out on Overspeed when driving on curves. Overbraking or running wide on a turn are other reasons for motorcycle crashes.
• About 2/3 of the vehicles disregarded the motorcycles’ right of way regarding multiple vehicle accidents.
• Roadway defects (e.g., potholes, damaged speed breaker, pavement rides.) hold the liability for 2% of all motorcycle accidents. And animals account for only about 1% of all types of vehicle accidents.

Fatalities due to a lack of motorcycle helmet usage

Source: U.S. Transportation Department of administration, National Occupant Protection law report, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis.

NHTSA disclosed that using helmets saved the lives of almost 1,872 people in 2017. Therefore, If all motorists had worn helmets, an additional 749 lives could have an opportunity to live.

According to a National Center for statistics study, Certified helmets are 37% effective in preventing fatal injuries.

NHTSA said that for every 100 motorcyclists who died due to a motorcycle accident, we could have saved 37% of them if those 100 had worn helmets.

But unfortunately, U.S. motorists are still lacking the necessity of having helmets. Most importantly, helmets save both economical and comprehensive costs.

NHTSA also found that nearly $3.5 billion in economic and $21 billion in total expenditures were saved in 2017 using helmets. Moreover, if motorcyclists had worn helmets in 2017, we could have saved an additional $1.5 billion in economic and $8.9 billion in total costs.

Economic costs are all about a victim’s financial consequences after an accident. These financial consequences include loss of wages, lost productivity, medical bills, emergency medical services (EMS), congestion delay (travel, transport, and other costs), and other accident-related expenses.

On the other hand, total cost refers to the financial expenses above, plus the loss of quality of life.

Let’s look at the Motorcycle fatalities and fatality rates between 2010 to 1019.

Source: U.S. Transportation departments’ officials; the Federal Highway Administration section of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Motorist communities, and victims.

Conclusion: What is your responsibility for motorcycle accidents caused by cars?

You don’t know whether a car or truck will hit you. Staying aware of any unexpected circumstance is crucial.

There are plenty of motorcycle accidents occurring every single day. It’s totally up to you whether you want to be one of the fatal accident victims. Not following traffic rules is a significant concern nowadays. Motorcycle accident causes severe fatality, and the fatality rates are also high in the specific famous state in the U.S.

That’s why to be aware of all the safety measurements of riding a motorcycle. A fatal accident can be your lifelong tears. Stay happy and healthy, and spread the word among your community.

Thanks for reading this article; if you think we have any mistakes in todays’ writing, Percentage of motorcycle accidents caused by cars, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We will get back to you in a matter of hours. Stay tuned!