We’ve discussed before the raised dangers of riding a motorcycle and how it can affect a driver differently than if they were in an enclosed vehicle. Understanding not only the risks but also the rates and figures of motorcycle accidents may be something Tennessee drivers wish to look at. A recent source explored the trends of motorcycle accidents among service members over the last few years and the data indicates that the numbers have significantly increased since 20001.
A motorcycle accident can occur for the same reasons as any other kind of accident; however, unfortunately, the recovery process or aftermath can often be quite different. The percent of fatal accidents involving a motorcycle among military members in 2001 was reported to be 14 while the percentage from four years ago was listed at 38. These figures come from the Armed Forces Health Center Surveillance Report, and there have been several programs and initiatives put into place in an effort to prevent such wrecks.
One way that the Department of Defense sought to help this cause and save more lives was to implement more thorough training of the riding vehicles, which reportedly did improve statistics for the year following 2008. One Marine was said to have explained that if the service members are going to go out and purchase motorcycles, then it is the duty of the U.S. Marine Corps to do what they can to ensure their safety.
Another study could perhaps explain the reason for military members’ numbers of motorcycle purchases being so common with their own data. Just under half of the service members tested were reported to be “highly impulsive,” while over two-thirds supposedly had a motivation for “seeking a high degree of sensation, or thrills.”
Whatever the reason, riding a motorcycle is something that requires a lot of attention to safety. Unfortunately, sometimes being as safe as possible doesn’t work and a Tennessee driver may still find themselves in an accident due to another driver’s unsafe habits. In such a situation, working with a personal injury attorney could help to recover some compensation for any further complications due to the accident.
Source: Star News, “Military focuses on reducing motorcycle deaths of servicemen,” Adam Wagner, Dec. 5, 2012