There are a variety of vehicles and different modes of transportation on the roads all the time, including cars, trucks, buses, taxis, and motorcycles. With all this traffic on the roads, accidents are unfortunately unavoidable. According to data collected by the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles’ Traffic Records Unit and the Traffic Safety Unit in 2021, there were over 494,000 crashes across 33 different vehicle subcategories. Of these, over 141,000 crashes resulted in injury for those involved, and almost 3,000 of them resulted in one or more fatalities.
These staggering numbers apply to the state of North Carolina in 2021 alone. One can only imagine how these numbers have climbed as COVID-19 restrictions loosen and people return to the roads. But the more recent data has not yet been fully processed and released by the Department of Transportation.
Meanwhile, let’s turn our attention to motorcycle accidents. While motorcycles may be a far less common occurrence on the roads than cars or trucks, they still have to abide by the same traffic laws and restrictions. Just like every other vehicle type, motorcyclists can and often do find themselves involved in an automobile accident. Motorcycle crashes can be particularly devastating because of the open-air nature of the vehicle. According to the same statistics cited previously, there were exactly 3,712 motorcycle crashes reported in 2021. Of these crashes, 2,847 of them resulted in injury, and 210 resulted in one or more fatalities.
With these statistics combined, we come to the conclusion that roughly 1 out of every 133 accidents that occur in North Carolina involve a motorcycle. This is a 0.0075% chance that any given wreck will involve a motorcycle. Of course, if you drive a motorcycle, that doesn’t mean that you should throw caution to the wind, putting you and others in danger on the roads. Always be sure to follow posted speed limit signs, and be extra careful on the highways and freeways. You want to avoid becoming another statistic!
Then again, not all accidents involving a motorcycle are the cyclist’s fault. In these cases, you may be entitled to compensation for physical damages and repairs. Just like any other car accident, it’s important to get in touch with the authorities immediately and begin documenting the scene. Contact an attorney for help and guidance when it comes to building your case. We invite you to reach out to us here at Wayne Hardee Law, personal injury and accident attorneys at law. We look forward to working in your corner!
