One in seven accidents involve motorcycles

One in seven accidents involve motorcycles warns David Harlow of InsureYourMotor.com the UK’s premiere online insurance broker. InsureYourMotor.com warns that despite forming only 1% of road traffic, motorcyclists account for 14% (one in seven) of road deaths and serious injuries. The casualty rate for motorcyclists is 15 times higher than that of car drivers. The fatality rate for motorcyclists is 40 times higher than that for car drivers according to figures from: www.onlinebikequote.co.uk However, accidents involving motorcyclists have dropped from their 1981-1985 average. In fact in the last 20 years the total injuries, deaths and accidents caused by motorcyclists has more than halved. This statistic has a lot to do with the long-term decline in motorcycle use; although there are indications of a recent reversal of this trend, particularly among users of the more powerful motorcycles with an engine size of 350cc and above. This trend is echoed by the number of new motorcyclists licensed and insured each year, showing a decrease of 13% in the number of licensed motorcycles over the decade, but conversely an increase of 28% since 1995. Today around 2% of adults own a motorcycle. Fatalities and overall casualties peak significantly during the Spring and Summer months, which probably reflects increased riding, and hence accident exposure, during this period. David Harlow comments: “We have seen a significant increase in motorcycle insurance sales over the last few years. It is about this time of year that the claims start coming in and at a much higher rate than any other type of motor claim. Although there are more claims for motorbike accidents than anything else, the insurance is still less expensive than for a car because the claims are for much smaller amounts.”

Date - 11/04/2003