People in North Carolina who operate motorcycles should know that motorcyclists made up 14 percent of all of the traffic deaths in 2015. They accounted for 17 percent of driver and passenger fatalities as well as 4 percent of both the number of all individuals injured and the number all occupants who were injured.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the number of people who were killed as a result of a motorcycle crash increased 8.3 percent from 4,594 in 2014 to 4,976 in 2015. Also, the number of motorcyclists who were injured fell 4.3 percent from 92,000 in 2014 to 88,000 in 2015.
The NHTSA also states that motorcyclists were 29 times more likely to die in a crash per vehicle mile traveled than individuals who were passenger car occupants. They also had five times the chances of being injured.
According to the Federal Highway Administration, there were 8.6 million motorcycles on the roadways in the United States in 2015. That figure is up from the eight million that was recorded in 2009.
The NHSTA reports that 40 percent of the motorcyclists who died in traffic crashes in 2015 did not have on a helmet. The agency also states that the rate of deaths for each registered motor vehicle for motorcyclists in 2015 was six times more than the rate of deaths for passenger car occupants.
An individual who is injured in a motorcycle accident may speak with a personal injury attorney about their legal options. Compensation may be provided for medical bills, rehabilitation, lost wages, vehicle repairs or pain and suffering.