How dangerous is it? What are the chances that I will survive an accident when riding my motorcycle? These are some of the questions most people ask before buying a motorcycle.
So, do all motorcyclists really have an accident (“go down”)? The short answer is no. Not all motorcyclists will have an accident during their years of riding. There are riders who have been riding for decades and have not had an accident. Although there are motorcyclists who have not had an accident, it does not mean that most riders will not. The truth is that most motorcyclists do have one or more accidents during their riding years.
You need to understand if an accident will happen to you, it does not depend on what type of rider you are. For example, if you have taken motorcycle safety courses and you have previous experience on two wheels like dirt bikes, you would have learned about all the safety measures you need to know to avoid accidents. Also, there is a very high chance that you will not have an accident but on the other hand, if you did not take a safety course, you will not get a motorcycle that fits your level and you will ride poorly. So, yes, there is a pretty high chance that you will have an accident.
If you find this topic interesting and you want to know whether or not you will have an accident during your riding years, continue reading because in this guide, not only will I discuss what your chance is of having an accident, but also how you can significantly reduce the chance of you having an accident and more.
So, let’s get started.
How likely are you to crash on a motorcycle?
The truth that you are likely to have an accident while riding a motorcycle is not as big as you think, which surprises a lot of people for some reason.
The death toll from motorcycle accidents stands at 72 per 100,000. There are millions of motorcyclists all over the world, and not all motorcyclists do have an accident. Like I said earlier, there are motorcycle riders who have been riding, almost every day, for the past 40 and even 50 years and have never had an accident for once.
You have to understand that it is all up to you and how you ride.
In addition, it is important that before riding, you should understand the safety measures such as taking riding courses, learning, and reading about safety tips like do not drink alcohol before or when riding. It will scare you to know that almost 99 percent of the little mistakes by riders can result in an accident.
What kind of motorcyclists are more likely to have an accident?
There are some types of motorcyclists that I can tell you, for sure, are 99 percent more likely to have a motorcycle accident.
These are the types of riders that are more likely to have a motorcycle accident
- Riders who ride on a motorcycle that does not fit their level – first, the worst thing a rider can do to himself is to get a motorcycle that does not fit his riding level. It is very dangerous. For example, a beginner who receives a 600 or 1000 cc motorcycle will certainly have a motorcycle accident. Therefore, a beginner rider should get a motorcycle that fits his level which is 125 to 500cc and not beyond because riding any other higher-level motorcycle can be life-threatening.
- Riders who drink alcohol before riding – Another very bad thing a rider can do is to drink alcohol before riding a motorcycle. A very substantial percentage of riders killed by motorcycle accidents were drunk. So, make sure you are not drunk or do not drink alcohol before riding a motorcycle.
- Riders who often ride – If you are a motorcyclist who rides long distances almost every day for hours, it is obvious you are more likely to have an accident than a rider who doesn’t ride every day. So, it’s important to take this into account.
- Riders who do crap (high-speed, stunt-riding) – you should try to avoid high-speed and stunt riding (stunting) because most riders who do, end up having an accident. Avoid riding at high speeds and doing whips on the road. If you are not a professional at doing whips or stunting or any other crazy skills, do not attempt to do it.
- Riders in extreme weather – If you ride your motorcycle in extreme weather like rain, storms, and more, you significantly increasing your chances of having a big accident. Motorcycles are not very suitable for riding in extreme weather, especially winter and rain where you are 50 percent more than likely to have an accident. When it’s raining (most especially the distracting rain), car drivers and motorcyclists have less vision and roads are very slippery.
- Riders who don’t take a safety course – for some reason, motorcyclists don’t take safety courses, which means that those who don’t take safety courses are very likely to have an accident than those who took safety courses before riding. The reason is that safety courses give you lots of tools and enlightenment on how to stay safe and pay attention to your motorcycle when riding. So, it’s important to take this into account.
- Riders who ride often at night – If you ride your motorcycle often at night, you have very high chances of having an accident. The reason is that other vehicle riders will find it difficult to see you, especially when your bike has no light. So, when they can’t see you or notice you coming, they can drive into you, resulting in an accident.
Do real bikers fall off a motorcycle?
What I had to add to this article is the question I heard saying, “Do real bikers fall off a motorcycle?”
The truth is, there is a saying or myth that real motorcyclists do not have motorcycle accidents. This is not true because even the most experienced rider in the world fell from a motorcycle. So, if he hadn’t fallen off a motorcycle or had an accident, he would not have been able to learn from mistakes and progress or reach the highest level. So, if you had an accident when riding a motorcycle and someone tells you that you are not a real rider, do not listen to him nor consider it important.
How can you reduce your chances of having a motorcycle accident?
Take a safety course
The number one advice I can give you to avoid a motorcycle accident is to take a safety course in your area. Studies have shown that riders who take a safety course manage to lower their chances of an accident by 40 percent, which is amazing.
You need to understand that safety courses give you all the tools you need to deal with the possible dangers associated with riding a motorcycle. Besides, safety courses will teach you how to crash safely. And the best thing is that riding courses are not expensive but cheap. When learning in groups, you can even make new friends.
In addition, some governments and states agencies provide safety courses for free for motorcyclists. Also, there are even countries that require you to complete a safety course before you are allowed to ride. So I encourage you to check them out.
Never drink alcohol
The easiest way to have a motorcycle accident your motorcycle is to get drunk before riding. You will understand that more than 40 percent of motorcycle accidents happen to motorcyclists who ride while drunk.
Besides, riding a motorcycle when you are drunk will not only cause an accident, but chances are the accident will be fatal and life-threatening. The reason is that when a rider is drunk before riding, he will not know when he’s riding crazy speeds and the result will be a very fatal accident.
Avoid riding in extreme weather
Riding in extreme weather is very dangerous for your motorcyclists. It will significantly increase your chances of having an accident. When I say extreme weather, I weather conditions such as rain, winds, storms, snow.
When riding in winter, there are loads of road hazards because the roads are usually very smooth and wet and it will be pretty difficult to apply the brakes. In short, it is usually very cold for riders. So, I highly recommend you avoid riding in such weather as much as you can and instead, you have to reach out to friends to get you a taxi.
Be alert (vigilant) when riding
You must be vigilant when riding and you must not be tired because it is very dangerous. And as a motorcyclist, at any time on the road, you must be twice as vigilant as other motorcyclists or car riders to avoid making mistakes. So, do not take the risk by not staying alert.
Avoid riding at night
Riding at night is relatively more dangerous, especially when you are riding in very dark areas with no lighting. Riding at night involves a lot of dangers because riders have less vision and, even you as a motorcycle rider. have less ability to see the good riders around you.
Ride at low speeds
Riding at high and crazy speeds is very dangerous. In 2008, almost 40 percent of motorcycle accident fatalities were as a result of riding at very high speeds. So, you should not drive at crazy speeds.
Make yourself as visible as possible
You, as a motorcycle rider, must be as visible as possible to car drivers. They should be able to see you, especially when riding at night. So, it’s important that you wear a glowing vest with visible flashlights and mostly white lights that are most visible at night for car drivers.
Be careful of intersections
Many of the motorcycle accidents happen at the intersections and are very dangerous. When turning at intersections, you must be as alert as you can and respond properly and make sure to put your hands on the brakes.
Buy safety equipment
Lastly, it is important you put on your safety equipment to avoid life-threatening injuries.
The rules are, you must wear all safety gear when riding a motorcycle and you must never ride without safety gear.
Safety equipment (gear) include
- motorcycle helmet
- Riding boots
- Body armor
- Gloves
- Leather (protective leather clothing)
- riding outfit
