Motorcycles are the most dangerous motor vehicles to drive, says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Driving a motorcycle may look like fun, but it's dangerous. Motorcycle accidents in the United States cause more deaths---usually from head injuries--- than any other kind of vehicular crash. Among survivors, painful injuries to legs, hips, arms and lower back are common. Serious accidents may cause brain damage or paraplegia, paralysis from the waist down. In some cases, a crushed leg may require amputation. Along with physical pain, survivors may experience forms of psychological distress.
Higher Fatality Rate than Cars
Motorcycle-related deaths in the United States more than doubled from 1997 to 2006.
Statistically, motorcycles are more lethal to drive or ride on than cars, buses or trucks.
Based on a decade's worth of data, a motorcycle driver is more than 20 times likely to have a fatal crash than the driver of a passenger car. Comparing motorcycle drivers versus passenger car drivers, in 2004 the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated the respective fatality rates as 35.0 to 1.7 per 100 million miles of travel.
And, although fatalities caused by other types of motor vehicles declined, motorcycle-related deaths rose in the first decade of the 21st century. According to a June 2010 report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, "the number of motorcyclist crash-related fatalities has more than doubled during the past 10 years."
The number of people who died while riding motorcycles in the United States in an average year could be enough to populate an entire village. For instance, in 2006, nearly 5,000 people in the United States died from motorcycle accidents, twice as many as in 1997.
The health impact of motorcycle deaths ripples out beyond the individual victims. Nine in 10 motorcycle drivers killed in 1997-2006 were male, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation's 2007 blueprint for change, titled "Action Plan to Reduce Motorcycle Fatalities." Most victims were under the age of 50. Motorcycle deaths, like other forms of unexpected, sudden death, can catalyze depression and stress-related symptoms among bereaved family members and friends.
Common Motorcycle Injuries
Motorcycle crashes often cause traumatic brain injury.
The range of injuries sustained by motorcycle accident victims is quite specific. A 60-page report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, titled "Rehabilitation Costs and Long-Term Consequences of Motor Vehicle Injury," documents five distinct medical conditions that occur among four out of five motorcycle accident victims who are sufficiently injured to require both hospitalization and subsequent rehabilitation.
Of those hospitalized and in rehab, the most common serious health impact of a motorcycle accident is traumatic brain injury. (It is worth noting that of all motorcycle fatalities from 1997 to 2006, nearly half the victims were not wearing helmets at the time of the crashes, according to the DOT's 2007 action plan report.)
The long-term impact of traumatic brain injury depends on the severity of the condition. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, symptoms can range from a brief loss of consciousness and headache, to more severe symptoms such as seizures, loss of limb coordination and slurred speech.
The other major health impacts of motorcycle accidents cited in the NHTSA report were spinal cord injury; loss of the ability to walk; multiple, body-wide severe injuries that the report called "traumatic brain injury plus fracture and amputation," and orthopedic injuries ranging from broken legs and smashed knees to foot injuries and injured or broken hips.
Psychological Distress
Finally, international health research, from Israel to the UK to the United States, documents the potential psychological as well as physical health consequences of motor vehicle accidents. Some crash victims suffer from any of a range of mental health problems, including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, difficulty sleeping and travel phobias.
The psychological consequences of motorcycle accidents may require additional medical attention, including medication.
Tags: United States, brain injury, traumatic brain, traumatic brain injury, more than, motorcycle accident