What the Statistics Tell You about Riding a Bike in the Lone Star State
There are few things in life that can compare to hitting the open road on a motorcycle on a sunny day. In Texas, where there are vast expanses of open road, relaxed speed limits and countless days of great weather, motorcycles abound on the state’s highways. It’s long been known that motorcycles are generally more dangerous than passenger vehicles. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that bikers are about 30 times more likely to suffer a serious injury than persons traveling in passenger vehicles. Even though there have been highly visible public service campaigns to bring attention to the presence of motorcycles and motorcyclists on the roads, the accident rates remain high.
Where does Texas fall with respect to motorcycle accidents and injuries, as compared to the rest of the country? How dangerous is it to climb aboard a Harley in the Lone Star State?
What the Statistics Tell Us about the Dangers of Riding a Motorcycle in Texas
Studies consistently show that weather plays a key factor in both the number of motorcycle miles traveled per state and the number of accidents. As a general rule, the highest rates of serious and fatal motorcycle accidents are found in California and across the South. Not surprisingly, Texas comes in second (behind Mississippi) for deaths sustained in motorcycle crashes, with 12 per 10,000 bikers. The NHTSA reports that bikers make up about 3% of the actual traffic on the roads, but account for nearly one in every 10 motor vehicle fatalities (9%).
Because Texas has a substantially larger population than Mississippi, the actual number of motorcycle fatalities is substantially higher. While Mississippi reported 62 motorcycle accident deaths in 2020, Texas had nearly 500 (483). The actual rate of fatalities in Texas is approximately four times that of northern states, such as Minnesota and New Hampshire.
It’s important to understand, too, that 2020 was not an anomaly with respect to motorcycle accidents in Texas. The Lone Star State has been in the top three for reported motorcycle accident injuries for most of the last decade. One study found that, during a seven-year period, Texas reported nearly 69,000 motorcycle accidents.
Contact the Experienced Motorcycle Accident Attorneys at Bailey & Galyen
At the law offices of Bailey & Galyen, we have more than 40 years of experience helping personal injury victims across Texas get full and fair compensation for the carelessness or negligence of others. We will aggressively help you pursue full and fair compensation when you have been injured in any type of motorcycle crash. Contact us by e-mail or 844-402-2992 call our offices at one of the convenient locations listed below. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
