In the United States, motorcycles are very popular. More than four million are registered. Generally, they are less expensive and more fuel-efficient than cars, and they may be used to transport a teen to school and work. Of course, they are also great for recreational use.
But motorcycles are inherently more dangerous than cars. While five percent of all highway fatalities involve a motorcycle, only two percent of all registered vehicles are motorcycles. In a crash, motorcycles offer no protection. There is nothing between the driver and the crash. No door. No hood. No trunk. No engine. Certainly no airbag. About twenty percent of all reported automobile accidents involve injury or death; that figure is eighty percent for motorcycle crashes. When calculated per mile traveled, the risk of dying in a motorcycle crash is sixteen times that of dying in a car crash. Every year, more than 2,200 drivers die in such crashes.
Despite these frightening statistics, if a teen still wishes to drive a motorcycle, there are some ways to reduce the risks. One can begin with a review of the motorcycle requirements of your state: how old one must be to obtain a motorcycle license and what are the requirements? A shocking thirty-three percent of motorcyclists who are killed in crashes either have no license or an improper license. If an adolescent is going to drive a motorcycle, then he or she should take the time to do it legally.
Motorcycles are designed to fill different needs. Some are primarily for highway use. Others are better for trails. And some may be used for both. Teens could consider selecting a vehicle that fills their greater need. Also one must choose a motorcycle that is appropriate in size. When an individual sits on a motorcycle, both of his or her feet should be able to touch the ground. The controls should be easy to see and operate. If the driver of the motorcycles plans to transport a passenger, there should be a passenger seat and footrests. Teens should not take a passenger until they you have had sufficient motorcycle driving skills. Driving with a passenger is more difficult than driving alone.
Any driver of a motorcycle should spend time carefully reading the owner’s manual. It is highly recommended that new drivers enroll in a motorcycle-training course. If a teen is unable to locate one, contact the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (http://msf-usa.org or 800-446-9227) that organization can direct the caller to classes near one’s home.
There must be extra care with the motorcycle driver’s clothing, shoes and gloves. The jacket should be strong, durable and with long sleeves. If possible, it should be brightly colored. Reflective vests are a great idea. Shorts are not recommended; pants should be straight on the bottom since baggy or flared bottoms could become entangled in sections of the motorcycle. Ideally, the driver should wear leather boots. If not, athletic shoes that cover the ankles could be appropriate. Sneakers, sandals, or dangling laces could pose a hazard. The driver should also use sturdy, non-slip gloves. Leather gloves are desirable, as are those with grip strips.
Eye protection is essential. Even if your motorcycle has a windshield, it may not protect the driver from items flying in the air such as rocks and insects. And the wind could cause one’s eyes to tear and cause blurriness of the vision. Eye goggles or glasses with plastic or safety lenses provide further eye protection.
It is of utmost important that motorcyclists always wear a helmet even if state law does not mandate its use. And a passenger also should also wear one. The leading cause of death in motorcycle crashes is head injury. Riders who crash without wearing a helmet are forty percent more likely to have a fatal head injury. If a rider does survive, he or she may be permanently disabled or seriously impaired. Moreover, hospitalization and rehabilitation may be prolonged and expensive. While some people claim that wearing a helmet is an individual decision, it really isn’t. If, as a result of a helmet-less crash, a teen loses her or her your ability to work, then medical care and livelihood must be provided by tax dollars. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has estimated that from 1984 to 1995, the use of helmets saved more than $7.5 billion. If all motorcyclists had worn helmets, an additional $6.8 billion might have been saved.
Not all states have laws requiring motorcyclists to wear helmets. In the states that do, it has repeatedly been shown that helmet use increases dramatically. That saves lives and reduces the severity of injuries. Where the helmet laws have been repealed, fatalities increase by an estimated twenty percent. In states without helmet laws, only thirty-four to fifty-four percent of the motorcyclists wear helmets; in the states with helmet laws, the rate of compliance is more than ninety-eight percent. The highest courts of more than half of the states have declared that helmet laws are constitutional.
Some opponents of mandatory helmets claim that they cause injuries. That is simply false. And helmets do not obscure vision or impair hearing. Helmets have a field vision of more than 210 degrees, and, since they protect against the racing wind and loud engine noises, motorcyclists hear as well with a helmet as they do without one.
Teens must not drive a motorcycle and drink any alcoholic beverages. In addition, teens should not be a passenger on a motorcycle where the driver has been drinking. Driving a motorcycle is more difficult than driving a car. It requires more agility, coordination and alertness. Obviously, not everyone follows this rule. That is why about half of all single-vehicle fatal motorcycle crashes involving alcohol.
Of course there are a few rules of the road for motorcyclists:
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Drive defensively and courteously and must obey the traffic rules.
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Do not speed, tailgate, or weave in an out of traffic that is stopped or moving slowly.
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Keep a safe distance from cars, and do not stop suddenly.
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Be careful of road conditions. A motorcycle is far more vulnerable than a car to a road that is slippery or has gravel.
Rainstorms pose special problems for motorcyclists. They should pull off the road or take shelter under an overpass. The road is most slippery during the first several minutes of a storm. If one must ride the motorcycle in the rain, driving in the tracks of the cars in front may improve the traction of the vehicle. Driving on the painted lines or metal surfaces may actually diminish the traction of a motorcycle.
Cars cause about two-thirds of motorcycle-car crashes. Drivers of cars are looking for other cars—not motorcycles. Motorcycles should take extra care to drive cautiously. One should use the high beams, especially during highway driving. And motorcyclists should be careful not to hide in a driver’s blind spot. They should never attempt to share a lane with a driver, and never assume that a car can see the motorcycle. When changing lanes, motorcyclists should always signal.
It should be parenthetically noted that since the 1960s a type of off-road miniature motorcycle has been popular with teens and younger children. Unfortunately, these are not regulated by any federal motor vehicle safety standards. It is not necessary for the rider or the vehicle to be licensed. These should be used with a great degree of caution.
Related topics:
Accidents, automobile safety, head injuries
