What are the Most Common Motorcycle Accidents?

How to avoid the most common motorcycle injuries and fatal crashes

As a motorcyclist, the last thing you want to have to think about is being injured in an accident. Thinking about the many ways in which you can get hurt isn’t pleasant but, as all bikers know, getting into a motorcycle accident is a real risk of riding. No matter how safely you ride, factors like road conditions, other drivers, and weather are all out of your control. From road rash to head trauma, there can be a lot of scary and life-threatening injuries that come from motorcycle crashes. It’s important to be as prepared as possible for your rides not only so that you can put any anxieties to rest, but also so that you can safely enjoy yourself and your passion.

Educating yourself about the most common types of motorcycle accidents can help you avoid them, and it can also help to inform the gear you choose for your rides. Here’s a list of the most common motorcycle accidents, how to reduce your risk, and the kind of gear you may want to consider:

1. Left-Turning Vehicles

Almost half of all motorcycle accidents involve other vehicles that fail to check their blind spots before switching lanes or turning left at an intersection. These can also happen when a motorcyclist tries to pass the lane-changing or left-turning car without the driver being aware of their presence. While these accidents happen often between two cars, they are especially dangerous between a car and motorcycle because of the rider’s lack of protection.

Motorcycle visibility is hugely important out on the roads, but being aware as a biker of the indicators that someone is about to turn left can help to avoid this common accident. When a car is waiting to turn at an intersection, when the driver of a car appears to check both ways, or when there is a traffic gap close to a driveway or intersection where someone is waiting to enter are all good indicators that the cars in front of you may want to turn left or merge into the lane to their left.

Wearing reflective clothing, like our Armored Black Reflective Performance Hoodie, can make you more visible to other drivers on the road. Its RECCO® Technology also makes you searchable for organized rescue by reflecting their directional radar signal. This allows them to find and help you faster in the event that you're lost in the outdoors.

2. Intoxicated Drivers

In the United States, 29% of all road fatalities are caused by drunk driving accidents. 33% of these involve motorcycles. You can control whether or not you get on your bike after drinking, but unfortunately you can’t control the decisions of other drivers.

You can try to avoid getting into accidents with intoxicated drivers by staying away from cars that are tailgating, over-speeding, drifting or swerving, and driving closely to other vehicles on the road.

In the event that you’re run off the road by an intoxicated driver, our Tripleflex Upper Body Armor Set fits perfectly into our Armored Black Reflective Hoodie to help protect your shoulders, back, and elbows with CE level 2 armor.

3. High-speed Riding

Over-speeding makes it much more difficult, if not sometimes impossible, to act quickly enough to avoid unforeseen hazards. Riding too chaotically also dramatically heightens the damage that occurs from an accident. Considering speed limits and avoiding bikers that are over-speeding can help you avoid a deadly collision.

4. Head-on Collisions

58% of fatalities from motorcycle crashes happen because of head-on collisions. These can commonly happen when either (or both) party is driving too fast and cannot avoid collision quickly enough. The National Safety Council suggests following the “Four Rs” to avoid these types of collisions: read the road ahead, drive to the right, reduce your speed, and ride off-road whenever possible.

A helmet is the most important accessory for every biker. It can help reduce the risk of death by 37% and it reduces the risk of head injury by 69%. Always wear a helmet when you ride, no matter what.

6. Taking Curves Too Quickly

For more novice drivers, taking curves too quickly can be an easy mistake to make. Slowing down to take curves at a reasonable speed and giving other riders ample space can help you to avoid crashing.

Wearing armored pants like our Armored Casual Riding Pants can help protect your lower half in these kinds of accidents. Lined with DuPont™ Kevlar®, these pants can help protect you from road rash. Slip in a set of Level 2 Joint protectors for your knees and hips for maximum protection.

7. Sharing Lanes

Sharing a lane with another motorcyclist without staggering yourselves can be dangerous for several reasons. You may risk crashing if the other biker has to swerve to avoid an obstacle, and riding side by side poses a greater risk of colliding into one another. Giving each other space buys you more time to react if something surprises you on the road.

Each of these common accidents can cause all kinds of injuries including road rash, traumatic brain injuries, lacerations, broken bones, organ damage, and internal bleeding. It is so important to first be aware of these common accidents and how to avoid them, and it is equally as important to choose gear that protects you as much as possible while allowing you to ride comfortably. Wearing armored clothing to protect your joints, bones, and skin from road rash and breakage is easier than ever. The statistics don’t lie, and you’ll never regret riding with extra protection. And lastly, always wear a helmet on the road so that you can enjoy your ride to the fullest!

Protective Motorcycle Gear at GLS Co.

Interested in seeing what we have to offer for motorcycle protective equipment? We’re proud to sell modern Kevlar lined pants and hoodies that hold flexible joint and back protectors. Reduce abrasion and impact, but look awesome on your ride with Milwaukee’s Great Lake Supply Co.