Are you a new motorcycle rider, or have you had your bike for a while? If you have been riding for five to ten years, you might think that you are a pretty safe biker. You have experience, so it would only make sense that you have a lower risk of a motorcycle crash than a young rider or a rider with little experience. A new study shows that these assumptions may be wrong.
According to a recent motorcycle accident study conducted by a motorcycle insurance company in the United Kingdom—Swinton Bikes—middle-aged riders are more accident prone than young riders. Swinton Bikes looked at 20,000 motorcycle claims made between January and August 2013.
According to the Swinton Bike survey, more than 13 percent of riders between 33 and 46 years of age made a claim during the seven-month time period. Less than six percent of riders between the ages of 16 and 20 made a claim during the same period. This means that middle-aged bikers are twice as likely as young riders are to be involved in a motorcycle accident.
The study also showed that motorcyclists with five years of experience are more likely to make an accident claim than riders who have only had their license for one year.
Dan Agate, head of Swinton Bikes, believes that overconfidence may be to blame. He says that while confidence is an important part of motorcycle riding, motorcyclists should be realistic about their ability level.
The safest motorcyclists are those with 20 or more years of riding experience. These riders have the lowest number of motorcycle accident claims.
The Swinton study involved motorcyclists in the United Kingdom, but studies have found similar trends in the U.S. A 2008 analysis of American motorcycle accidents found that almost half of the riders killed in 2006 were age 40 or older, one quarter were over age 50.
Have you been seriously injured in a motorcycle crash? The insurance company may try to use your age and experience against you even if the accident was not your fault. Our Atlanta injury attorneys can help you fight back. Contact Kaufman Law, P.C. to discuss your motorcycle accident claim with a lawyer. The initial consultation is always free.
