Davis Law Group, P.S.

Motorcycle Use Increasing, But So Are Accidents

The Seattle Times recently reported that more people are using motorcycles on our streets.  But accidents involving motorcycles are also on the rise.  The Times reports that most motorcycle accidents are now caused by riders who have had no instruction on how to safely operate a motorcycle in traffic.  This is troubling, particularly when more than 80% of motorcycle accidents are caused by operate error according to the Times.

What’s even more disturbing is that more than 93% of fatality accidents involving motorcycles also involve operators who have no training whatsoever.  Scary.

Nationally, motorcycle fatality accidents are also on the rise.  The Times reports that there were 317 more fatal motorcycle accidents in the year 2007 than in the previous year.  The motorcycle accident fatality rate has also more than doubled from 2100 accidents in 1997 to more than 5,000 accidents in 2007 alone.

Statewide, the trend has been the same, fluctuating some years, but always climbing. In 1997, there were 28 motorcycle deaths reported statewide. By 2006, there were 80 such deaths.

Another troubling issue that I see in my practice is the inadequate insurance coverage held by the motorcycle operator.  Most owners of motorcycles do not carry sufficient insurance to cover against serious injury.  If you’re involved in an accident on a motorcycle, the injuries are much more likely to be serious and/or catastrophic then if the operator was in a passenger car or truck.  Yet most motorcycle drivers mistakenly think they have full coverage under the policy that covers their family car.  But many auto policies have motorcycle exclusions or state that another policy must be taken out to cover motorcycle accidents. 

Also, if a separate motorcycle policy exists, often times the coverage is minimal, or the policy does not have uninsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage.  UM is extremely important because if you are injured while on a motorcycle and the accident was another driver’s fault, that drive may not have enough insurance to cover all of  your damages, including those for past medical treatment and lost wages.  UM/UIM coverage is designed to float on top of the other driver’s insurance so there is plenty of coverage to protect against your losses.  But I routinely see motorcycle accidents where the operator either does not have UM/UIM coverage or only carries a minimal amount like $25,000.

Please, please… if you are going to operate a motorcycle you need to purchase enough to coverage to protect against catastrophic loss or injury.  I suggest limits of at least $300,000 or $1 Million if you can afford it.