A car accident is often the first thing that comes to mind when we think of car crashes. It’s not a surprise, since cars are much more popular on the roads than motorcycles. On the other hand, even though there are more cars on the road, bikes often come with risks that can make accidents worse. In other words, do more car accidents happen than motorcycle crashes? This blog post will break down the numbers, talk about the things that cause accidents in both areas, and look at how bad the accidents were and what happened as a result.
How Often Car Accidents Happen vs. Motorcycle Accidents
Car accidents are more likely to happen.
Cars rule the roads around the world. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that every year there are about 6 million car crashes in the United States alone. There are more cars on the road—as of 2020, there were nearly 270 million registered cars in the US. There are more chances for crashes to happen because there are so many cars on the road.
In fact, most accidents involve cars; the number of car accidents far exceeds the number of motorbike accidents. Data from the NHTSA shows that, on average, there are many more car crashes than motorcycle accidents each year.
Motorcycle accidents happen less often but are more deadly.
Motorcycles are a much smaller part of the cars on the road. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) says that motorcycles make up about 3% of all registered cars in the U.S. and about 0.6% of all commuter miles. But even though they aren’t very common, motorcycles are much more likely to be involved in major accidents.
Statistics show that motorcycle crashes happen less often, but a lot more people die in them. Like, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) says that motorcyclists are 27 times more likely to die in a crash for every mile they drive than people driving cars. This number shows how different the types of crashes are in terms of how bad they are.
Several important reasons why there are more car accidents
There are pretty clear reasons why cars are involved in more crashes than any other type of vehicle.
More cars on the road
It’s simple: there are a lot more cars on the road than bikes. This directly means that car accidents are more likely to happen. There are generally more chances for a car to be in an accident than for a motorcycle, since millions of cars are driven every day.
The place where you drive
Most of the time, people drive cars in a wider range of conditions than they drive bikes. Cars are made to handle a bigger range of conditions, whether they’re on busy city streets, long-distance highways, or in the middle of nowhere. The variety of driving conditions makes accidents more likely because more cars are subject to different types of driving conditions.
Mistakes made by people
Human error can happen in both car and motorcycle accidents, but it happens a lot in car crashes because people are texting, eating, or just plain tired. A lot of car crashes happen when there is a lot of traffic or when drivers aren’t paying full attention to the road. Car crashes happen more often because of things like drunk driving, being tired, and not having enough experience.
For what reason are motorcycle accidents more dangerous?
Even though there are more car accidents, you can’t ignore how bad motorbike accidents are. Here are some reasons why crashes involving motorcycles are usually more dangerous.
Not enough safety
There are safety systems in cars like airbags, seat belts, crumple zones, and more that protect people inside in case of an accident. On the other hand, motorcycles don’t offer that kind of safety. Motorcyclists don’t have as many protections when they’re in an accident, so they’re much more likely to get hurt.
How to Make the Rider Vulnerable
People who ride motorcycles don’t have a safe shell like people who drive cars do. Motorcyclists can be seriously hurt when they are thrown off their bikes, even in small crashes. Head injuries, broken bones, and road rash, which can be life-threatening, are common injuries in motorcycle crashes.
Less visibility
When there is a lot of traffic, it’s harder for other cars to see motorcycles. Because they are smaller than cars, drivers often miss them or hide them in blind spots, which can cause accidents. A big reason why so many motorcycle mishaps happen is that people can’t see.
Faster speeds
Motorcycle riders often go faster, which makes it more likely that an accident will kill someone. Motocross bikes are harder to control because they move quickly and aren’t as stable as cars. This is especially true when cruising.
What conditions on the road have to do with accidents?
The state of the roads can affect both car and motorcycle crashes. Bad weather, roads that aren’t well taken care of, and uneven surfaces can all cause accidents, but they are worse for bikers.
Conditions of the weather
Motorcyclists are more likely to lose control when the weather is bad, like when it rains, snows, or ices. It’s harder for riders to keep their grip on slippery surfaces, and motorcycles are more likely to skid or hydroplane than cars. Cars, on the other hand, can also slide on wet roads, but they are usually more stable and can come with anti-lock brakes (ABS) to help when the roads are wet.
Quality of the Roads
The state of the road is very important in both car and motorcycle crashes. Potholes, gravel, and even cracks in the road can be very dangerous for bikers. Motorcycles have less grip and are more likely to get thrown off course, but cars are less affected by these hurdles because they are more stable and enclosed.
The Facts Behind Motorcycle vs. Car Accidents
The NHTSA and IIHS say that motorcycle crashes are much more deadly than car accidents, even though they happen less often overall. Come with me as I look at some numbers:
- About 5,000 bikers are killed every year in the United States, while about 38,000 people in cars are killed.
- Motorcycle riders are much more likely to die per mile than car passengers. For every 100 million miles driven, about 26.7 per million motorcycle riders die, while only 7.3 per million miles driven by car passengers die.
- The number of motorbike accidents is affected by things like drinking and riding, going too fast, and not wearing safety gear like helmets.
Answer: Are There More Car Accidents Than Motorcycle Accidents ?
When you look at the overall number of accidents, there are a lot more car accidents because there are so many more cars on the road. Motorcycle crashes, on the other hand, happen less often but are usually worse and kill the person involved.
What makes them different is how much safety each one gives. There are many safety measures on cars that help keep accidents from getting worse, but motorcyclists depend a lot on their skill and the conditions around them. Because of this difference, motorcycle crashes are more likely to kill someone, even though they happen less often.
Statistics show that motorcyclists are much more likely to get hurt badly or die per mile driven than car drivers. So, even though car accidents happen more often, motorcycle crashes are usually more dangerous.
In the end, safety should always come first, whether you are driving a car or a motorbike. If you don’t want to get into an accident, make sure your car’s safety features are in good shape, wear a helmet whenever you ride a horse, and drive carefully.