North Carolina Motorcycle Injuries on the Rise Despite Improvements in Safety

 As technology improves, motorcycles like other motor vehicles are becoming safer to operate. One of the most dramatic improvements in motorcycle safety concern upgrades in the braking systems. The changes started with BMW and other European manufactures who started implementing anti-lock braking systems (ABS) in 1989. By 2000, most if not all Japanese manufacturers began offering ABS. In 2008 Harley-Davidson started offering ABS.

A study by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) was released in 2008 which supported the effectiveness of ABS in preventing motorcycle crashes and preventing fatalities as a result of motorcycle crashes.

The study by the IIHS begs the question, if motorcycles are safer, why are more injuries being reported? There are several factors which have resulted in more injuries. First, there are more motorcycles on the road than ever before. Motorcycle use is no longer limited to men under the age of 40. More than ever, women are taking to the road and many baby boomers have taken up riding as a hobby in retirement. Divorce lawyer. The result is far more riders on the road today than even a decade ago. Second many of the new riders are inexperienced. David Parsons, president and CEO of AAA Carolinas, is quoted in a Charlotte Observer article "inexperienced drivers and a lack of safety training is behind the growing problem in the state". The article goes on to state that North Carolina motorcycle fatalities have increased 20% in 2010 compared to the same time frame last year. Third, North Carolina does little to regulate or motorcycle riders. As Parson states, "Mandatory safety education and road tests should be required for anyone operating a motorized vehicle, especially a two-wheeler, on public streets".