Motorcycle Accidents Lead To More Severe Injures For Older Riders
On behalf of Brown & Crouppen, P.C. posted in Motor Vehicle Accident on Thursday, February 14, 2013
Motorcycle riding has been increasing in popularity for decades. Not only are more people buying bikes and hitting the road, but also those who have been riding for years keep riding, taking their motorcycles on everything from weekend day trips from St. Louis along the Mississippi, to cross-county vacations.
With all of these riders on the highways, motorcycle accidents and injuries have been increasing, but a new report finds older motorcycle riders have a much higher chance of being seriously injured in a motorcycle accident, than their younger companions. The report published in the journal Injury Prevention, finds riders 40 years old and older are three times as like to suffer a serious injury in a crash.
The study looked at 1.5 million motorcycle accidents from 2001 to 2008, involving injuries that were sufficiently severe to need a visit to the emergency room. The study divided the age groups into younger riders, in their 20s and 30s, and older riders in two groups, 40 to 59 and those older than 60.
The researchers noted that there were many reasons for the increase among older riders, from poor eyesight and slowing reactions times, to older bones that are just more susceptible to breaking. Other causes suggested include older riders, having more money, tend to ride more expensive and larger motorcycles. These bikes are more likely to roll over and cause injury.
They also note that younger riders tend to be more resilient and that crashes that they can walk away from could leave an older rider injured and in need of hospital care.
Source: New York Times, “Aging Easy Riders Beware,” Anahad O’Connor, February 8, 2013