Last November, a man was killed in a tragic crash that resulted from a high-speed motorcycle race in Jackson. According to a witness, two people on motorcycles blocked rush hour traffic so that two other riders could race down the street. The riders who were racing attained speeds of up to one hundred miles per hour. As the racers sped down the boulevard, a vehicle pulled out of a side street and into their path. One rider was able to avoid the vehicle, but the other rider collided with it. The rider who crashed into the vehicle died at the scene of the accident.
Racing in rush hour traffic is an extremely risky endeavor, not to mention an illegal activity. Unfortunately, some people still choose to engage in dangerous riding behaviors that put their lives and the lives of other people at risk. Risky behavior can lead to motorcycle accidents, whether you are riding alone or with a group. Studies have shown that younger riders are much more likely to take risks while riding than older riders are. This is probably the reason that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has identified the two age groups with the highest motorcycle accident risk as twenty to twenty four year olds and twenty five and twenty nine years year olds.
Any motorcycle can be safe or dangerous, on any given day, depending upon the rider and their behavior choices. Street bike riders are involved in four times more deadly crashes than riders of cruisers are. Differences in the way that street bikes and cruisers are designed create variations in how often and under what circumstances they are likely to crash. Street bikes are light weight, with short wheel bases, so they are easier for novice riders to control on dry pavement. The longer wheel bases of cruisers provide more stability and make for fewer crashes on wet pavement, provided that riders are able to handle them properly.
Riders should be aware that the single most important factor affecting motorcycle crash risk is rider behavior. Some risky behaviors have been shown to be exhibited by one type of riders more frequently than another. Statistically, street bike riders ride faster than riders of cruisers. It makes sense, then, that, speed causes more street bike accidents than cruiser accidents. Alcohol is involved in more fatal crashes by people who ride cruisers than it is for people who ride street bikes. Both speed and alcohol use are things that a rider can control. Although accidents can be caused by factors that are outside of a rider’s control, riders are, in large part, able to reduce the risk that they will be involved in a motorcycle accident by choosing to ride safely.
Giddens Law Firm, P.A.: Mississippi Motorcycle Accident Attorneys
Motorcycle accidents can be devastating for injured parties and for families who have lost loved ones. If you have been hurt or someone in your family was killed in a motorcycle accident. The Mississippi Motorcycle Accident Attorneys at the Giddens Law Firm, P.A. can help you to pursue the financial recovery that you deserve as you focus on your physical recovery. Please call our office today, at (601) 355-2022.