Which Body Parts Have High Injury Risk In Motorcycle Crashes?
- Last update: December 2020
Recently, there has been an increase in motorcycle crashes and mortality among bike riders, especially older riders.
Studies have compared the severity of injuries and the reason why it came to a crash in the first place to figure out a pattern. Knowing what body parts will you most likely injure in a motorcycle crash lets you prepare and take precaution steps.
Safety-conscious riders wear all kinds of gear all the time, but there’s, even more, you can do. Take a minute to discover which body parts you are most likely to injure and what are the most common causes of motorcycle crashes.
Motorcycle Injury Statistics
The Center for Disease Control studied the 1,222,000 people treated in U.S. emergency rooms for motorcycle-related injuries between 2001 and 2008 before recording their injuries by location on the body.
The NHTSA provides data on fatal injuries by tracking available death certification information for more than 8,000 crashes between 2000 and 2002. The head is the most common single area that’s injured in a fatal crash regardless of whether the rider wore a helmet or not.
Most Common Motorcycle Accident Injuries
Head Injury
While some head injuries can be minor and not as dangerous, more severe ones can result in a cracked skull or brain damage. The best way to prevent this is to wear a motorcycle helmet.
In 2016, more than 1,850 lives were saved by wearing a helmet, while more than 800 riders lost their lives because they didn’t wear one.
Biker’s Arm
In an accident, bikers risk being thrown from their bikes. In most cases, people stretch the arms forward to try and lessen the impact. Although this is a human instinct, it can lead to nerve damage in your arms.
There’s not much you can do to prevent this but wear study elbow pads and motorcycling clothes.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cord injuries are quite severe since they can result in paralysis, quadriplegia, or paraplegia. This is one of the worst injuries you could end up with, and there’s not much you can do to prevent it.
It usually happens during heavy-duty crashes, causing permanent disability.
Leg Injury
Legs, knees, and feet injuries are also quite often. In this case, the injury usually doesn’t have a fatal outcome, but it can still be quite severe. Fractured or shattered bones could grow into far worse conditions, leaving you permanently disabled.
You should always protect yourself by wearing leather riding clothes and kneepads.
Muscle Damage
Road rash happens when you slide sideways across the road. Your body will most likely rub against the road, scratching all the exposed skin.
This can happen when you’re fully clothed, too, if your clothing is thin. To avoid it, you should wear adequate clothing made specifically for motorcycling.
Road Rash
Road rash happens when you slide sideways across the road. Your body will most likely rub against the road, scratching all the exposed skin.
This can happen when you’re fully clothed, too, if your clothing is thin. To avoid it, you should wear adequate clothing made specifically for motorcycling.
Fractures
Fractures are quite common during motorcycle crashes. In most cases, it’s legs that have it worst because they tend to stay trapped under a motorcycle.
However, people also injure arms and wrists because they try to use them to break the fall. Some fractures, like a fractured skull, can be more severe.
Internal Injuries
Blunt-force trauma can often cause damage to internal organs and internal bleeding. It’s when something hard hits you without breaking your skin.
On the other hand, internal injuries can be caused by penetration trauma as well, which is when something sharp breaks your skin and hurts your internal organs.
Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents
Motorcycle Malfunctions
You should avoid riding a motorcycle that has any sort of defect that you know of. If you crash because of faulty materials and manufacturing, you can hold the motorcycle manufacturer liable for the injuries.
Riding a bike that has a malfunction is dangerous because you’ll focus on it more than the road and traffic.
Lane Changing
You’ll have to change lanes at some point during all of your rides. However, you should always change lanes at the right time when there’s no risk of any kind.
Check your blind spots before changing lanes and make sure always to signal the action adequately.
Lane Splitting
Lane splitting is driving between two lanes of traffic. This is a rather dangerous thing to do, and it’s even illegal in some countries.
It’s that much more dangerous for new riders, but everyone should try to avoid lane splitting regardless of their experience and confidence.
Car Doors
Plenty of motorcycle accidents occur when a car driver opens their door while parked. It usually happens suddenly, leaving no time for the motorcyclist to react.
Collison can result in severe injuries, depending on the speed of the bike.
Left Turns
Left turns often result in accidents, especially if one of the riders included doesn’t have as much experience. Right-of-way errors are also quite common and can cause severe injuries and even death.
The severity of injuries usually depends on the speed at which the motorcyclist tried to make the left turn.
Drunk Driving
Driving under the influence is never a good idea. You’re putting your life in danger but also the lives of other people included in the traffic.
Also, drunk driving is forbidden, and the fees aren’t small. If you cause an accident while driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, you’ll most likely face criminal and civil liability.
Speeding
Speeding is one of the leading causes of accidents. Riding at high speeds reduces your chances of seeing other drivers and reacting to them in the right way.
Plus, higher speed means higher impact as well. As a result, you’re at a higher risk of severe consequences.
Lack of Driving Experience
Inexperienced riders often make mistakes on the road, putting themselves and others in danger. While it takes time and practice to gain experience, you should be careful if you’re a new rider.
Try to practice a bit on roads that aren’t as busy. Also, don’t ride at high speeds because your margin for error is much smaller when riding fast.
Dangerous Roads
Some roads are more dangerous than others, and you should try to avoid them. Those with plenty of debris, crumbling pavement, and potholes are considered dangerous. Also, avoid roads that don’t have the necessary signs and signals.
Take such a road only if you have to, in which case, you should be careful, riding at an appropriate speed at all times.
Lack of Driving Experience
Inexperienced riders often make mistakes on the road, putting themselves and others in danger. While it takes time and practice to gain experience, you should be careful if you’re a new rider.
Try to practice a bit on roads that aren’t as busy. Also, don’t ride at high speeds because your margin for error is much smaller when riding fast.
Sudden Stops
Sudden stops tend to result in rear-end accidents. It happens when you’re riding too close to another vehicle, or someone else is riding too close to you.
Stopping suddenly because of another obstacle on the road might surprise the rider behind you, causing him/her to hit you from behind.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the primary cause of motorcycle crashes?
The most common cause is the failure of riders to detect and recognize a motorbike in traffic. Bikes are relatively small, and people might fail to notice them in bad weather or if they’re covered by another car.
Your best way of preventing this from happening is by wearing glowing clothes, especially in low-light conditions.
How to prevent motorcycle accidents?
As we said, you should always wear protective clothing and a helmet. Make sure that your protective gear is DOT approved and made of study materials.
Also, choose your battles and try not to ride in bad weather or at night. If you have to ride in such conditions, wear protective gear that glows so that other riders can notice you.
Ride at a safe speed and make sure to follow all the laws and rules of traffic. Consider other participants and think ahead.
More Reading: Motorcycle Crash and Safety Statistics
Frequently Asked Questions
All of your body is in danger during a motorcycle crash, although some parts might be more exposed than others. It all depends on the circumstances such as your riding speed, safety gear, as well as the nature of the accident.
Still, this shouldn’t deter you from enjoying your motorbike. Instead, use this information to your advantage and learn from it.
Use the best safety gear and be careful at all times. Don’t ride at unsafe speeds or when you’ve had a beer or two. Enjoy the ride, but know that safety always comes first.