Motorcycle Accident Fatalities on the Rise
Motorcycle riders face more risks on the road than drivers of passenger vehicles because motorcycles do not provide protections from impact the way vehicles do-- especially with advances in vehicle safety technology in recent years. Colorado Springs motorcycle accident lawyers can provide help after motorcycle collisions to victims who have been hurt in a crash caused by the negligence of drivers who don't know how to safely share the road with motorcycle riders.
Unfortunately, the risks that motorcycle riders face have resulted in a substantial number of serious and fatal accidents in Colorado – especially in recent years. Denver Post, for example, just recently reported on the total number of motorcycle accident deaths that occurred over the course of 2016, the most recent year for which data is available. The number of deaths was significantly higher than just one year prior.
Motorcycle Accident Deaths Rose in Colorado in 2016
According to Denver Post, there were 125 motorcycle riders killed in collisions in 2016, which was a 15 percent increase compared with the number of fatalities in 2015. The rise in fatalities continued a multi-year trend. In 2012, for example, motorcycle rider fatalities accounted for 16.7 percent of all deaths on the roadways in Colorado. By 2017, motorcycle riders made up 20.6 percent of all victims in Colorado who were killed in roadway accidents.
And this trend looked to be continuing into 2017 as well, although final data was not available at the time of the Denver Post's report. As of mid-April 2017, a total of eighteen motorcyclists had already been killed in auto accidents. During the same time period in 2016, just 13 motorcycle riders had died.
It is not just the number of fatal motorcycle accidents rising. A substantial number of all auto accidents now involve motorcycles. In 2016, for example, out of a total of 120,172 car accidents statewide, a total of 2,386 of the accidents involved a motorcycle.
There are a number of reasons why there are more fatalities among motorcycle riders in Colorado. One issue is that there are more motorcycles registered in Colorado. In 2012, there were 184,174 motorcycles registered within the state but by 2016, there were 194,129 motorcycles registered.
Driver behavior is also a concern: drivers are simply not watching out for motorcyclists. Motorcyclists also have a role to play in ensuring their own safety, as many riders go too fast. However, one big problem is that drivers and riders don't seem able to share the roads in a safe, cooperative way. Tensions between motorcyclists and drivers came to a head last summer, according to Denver Post, when hundreds of motorcyclists blocked traffic on Interstate 25 in a northbound direction near the University of Boulder in Denver.
It should be the responsibility of everyone on the road – including both motorcyclists and drivers – to behave in a safe and responsible way. If drivers fail to follow the rules of the road and put motorcyclists at risk, Colorado Springs motorcycle accident lawyers can provide representation to riders hurt in any accidents that result from driver negligence.
