Motorcycle safety

              Injury Prevention
Facts & Tips
Rev. September 2012
Injury Prevention Service, Oklahoma State Department of Health, 1000 NE 10th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73117 http://ips.health.ok.gov
Motorcycle Safety
• Annually in the U.S., between 4,000 and 5,000 people die as the result of a motorcycle crash. • In Oklahoma, 334 motorcyclists were hospitalized and 106 died in 2009. • Alcohol or drug impairment is frequently reported for motorcyclists. Impaired riders are more likely to be hospitalized or die than unimpaired riders. • Hospitalization or death is more frequent among motorcyclists not wearing a helmet. • Based on Oklahoma data for 2009, typical hospital charges are over $13,000 higher for unhelmeted motorcyclists than those wearing a helmet. • Injuries to the head, face, or neck are twice as frequent among unhelmeted motorcyclists than those wearing a helmet. • Nearly one-half of motorcycle crashes involve only the motorcycle. This type of crash more frequently results in hospitalization or death than crashes involving other vehicles. • Motorcycle crashes in rural areas and crashes occurring at night result in more hospitalizations and deaths than crashes in urban areas and crashes during daylight hours.
Prevention
• Don’t ride if impaired by alcohol and/or drugs. • Wear a proper fitting DOT-approved helmet; you may want to consider helmets that are also Snell certified. • Wear clothing or specialized gear that provides protection against road rash and impact injuries to other parts of the body. • Be extra cautious if riding at night or on narrow rural roads, especially if you are unfamiliar with the road. • Only ride motorcycles that you are familiar with and comfortable riding and that fit your riding experience level and physical ability. • If new to riding, consider taking a motorcycle safety course that has a practical riding component.
Internet Resources
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:
http://www.nhtsa.gov/Safety/Motorcycles
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
http://www.cdc.gov/Motorvehiclesafety/mc/index.html
• SMARTER:
http://www.smarter-usa.org/
• Motorcycle Safety Foundation:
http://online2.msf-usa.org/msf/Default.aspx
• Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:
http://www.iihs.org/
Motorcyclists involved in crashes have a much higher risk of hospitalization or death than persons in cars or trucks. Many injuries happen in predictable, preventable ways. Always wear a helmet and protective clothing and don’t ride impaired to help prevent death, disability, or disfigurement.
Live Injury-Free!