Motorcyclists
Motorcycles are less stable and less visible than cars and often have high performance capabilities. For these and other reasons, motorcycles are more likely than cars to be involved in crashes. When motorcycles crash, their riders lack the protection of an enclosed vehicle, so they're more likely to be injured or killed. Per mile traveled in 2005, the number of deaths on motorcycles was about 34 times the number in cars. Research published in 1995 shows that five crash types account for 86 percent of fatal motorcycle crashes: motorcycle runs off road (41 percent), motorcycle or other vehicle runs traffic control (18 percent), head on (11 percent), car turns in front of motorcycle (8 percent), and motorcycle goes down in roadway (7 percent) (
www.dot.gov). Almost all motorcycle related injuries and deaths are to males. The majority of incidents occurred between May to October, on the weekend, after 9pm, and on major roads outside of interstates and freeways. Fifty-three percent of motorcycle drivers killed at night (9pm–6am) in 2005 had blood alcohol levels at or above the legal limit.