Motorcyclists know they are more vulnerable to being injured in the event of a crash because they lack the protection that cars and trucks provide. Most motorcycle operators accept this fact and ride regardless of the risk. However, many motorcyclists don’t know exactly which injuries they are most likely to face if they are in a crash.
In order to better understand the risks motorcyclists face, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) looked at data relating to the approximately 150,000 motorcyclists treated in emergency rooms each year between 2001 and 2008 and found the following for non-fatal motorcycle-related injuries:
- The most common location of non-fatal injuries occurred to the lower extremities, which includes the leg, knees, ankles, and feet.
- The next highest location of injuries occurred to the head and neck, which often means traumatic brain injuries, fractures of the spine, and paralysis.
- The third most likely body location to suffer injuries is the upper trunk. This area includes the chest, shoulders, back, arms, and hands.
- Finally, the least likely area on the body to suffer non-fatal injuries in a motorcycle crash is the lower trunk, which includes the hips and pelvis.
What this information doesn’t reveal is whether or not safety gear helped lessen the severity of such injuries. While there are many safety-conscious motorcyclists who drive defensively and wear motorcycle gear from head to toe, there are many who fail to wear protective gear. Even though most motorcyclists wear helmets in Maryland because they are required to by law, some might not wear additional safety gear such as jackets, boots, gloves, and more.
Although motorcyclists can’t prevent every motorcycle accident from happening, they can help reduce their injuries by wearing the appropriate safety gear. We would like to urge all motorcycle operators to gear up before riding and to encourage others via Facebook to do the same in order to be as safe as possible on the road.
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