A 39-motorcyclist was transported to UCI Medical Center after he was injured in an Orange County, California motorcycle accident on Wednesday. Jorge Perez was struck by a black Toyota Sequoia on the 57 Freeway.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the number of motorcycle fatalities continues to increase each year. 5,290 motorcyclist deaths happened last year--up 2% compared to the 5,174 motorcyclist fatalities during 2007. 96,000 motorcyclist injuries were reported for 2008. The NHTSA reported 537 California motorcyclist deaths for 2008.
While other kinds of motor vehicle crashes have decreased in number, the rise in the number of deadly motorcycle crashes continues to be an issue of growing concern. The US Department of Transportation says that from 1997 to 2008, there has been a 150% jump in the number of motorcycle deaths that occur annually. The federal government hopes to better tackle this problem with a new study into what causes motorcycle accidents and how to prevent them from happening. This will be the first motorcycle crash causation probe that the US government will have conducted since it published The Hurt Report in 1981.
Motorcycles can move at the same speed as the drivers of other motor vehicles yet their riders lack the protection provided by a vehicle's body, safety belts, air bags, and other safety technology in the event of an Orange County, California motorcycle accident.
Motorcyclists are prone to falling to the ground, getting thrown off their motorcycles, sustaining road burns, and getting flung into road barriers, oncoming traffic, or straight into a large truck or another vehicle during a California traffic accident. Statistics show they have a 26 times greater chance of dying in a motor vehicle crash compared to auto occupants. This means that more often than not, the injuries sustained during a California motorcycle collision can be catastrophic. Traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, road burn injuries, and permanent disfigurement are just some examples of life changing motorcycle accident injuries.
Motorcyclist hit by SUV on freeway, OC Register, November 18, 2009
Federal Government To Study Motorcycle Crash Causation, Chicago Now, October 9, 2009
Related Web Resources:
Motorcycles, NHTSA (PDF)
Please contact our Irvine motorcycle accident lawyers and ask for your free case evaluation.
