Common Motorcycle Accident Injuries
You’ve probably heard it enough times to know that a motorcycle is one of the most dangerous modes of transportation you could take. It’s the truth. While only about 13 cars of every 100,000 on the road will engage in a fatal accident, the number increases to about 72 of every 100,000 for motorcycles. Even that statistic by itself isn’t enough to drive home the point, because cyclists tend to spend less time on the road than other drivers. For every mile travelled, a motorcycle operator is about 35 times more likely to be killed in an accident than someone in a car. Here are the most common injuries that result from these tragic accidents.
If you’re involved in a motorcycle accident, then there is an over 80 percent chance that you’ll be severely injured or killed. Motorcycles offer no external protection, nor do they encourage seatbelts for riders. This is why almost all accidents result in forceful ejection. In a forward motion, this can cause terrible head injuries even with proper headgear protection. There is only so much a helmet can do. Traumatic head injury is the most common severe injury incurred while riding a motorcycle.
For those who survive a head injury, concussions or contusions are likely. Some bleeding in the brain can cause permanent disability, and blood clots may sometimes need to be treated or removed through surgery. Symptoms may continue to develop in the days subsequent to a crash, and victims should be monitored continuously for at least a week. Should any new symptoms develop in that time, seek immediate medical care.
Bone fractures are another common injury for those who ride a motorcycle. Because of the usual forward motion during an ejection, spinal injuries are likely. These can result in partial or full paralysis. Broken vertebrae or slipped discs can be extremely painful, and these injuries take long periods of time to heal completely. If the rider is not ejected from the bike, then the chances of being trapped underneath are high–as are the chances of suffering from a broken leg. This is the most common non-life threatening injury incurred by motorcyclists. After that, wrist and arm fractures are common as well.
Another common injury sustained by a motorcyclist is road rash. Road rash is any skin abrasion that occurs from contact with asphalt or another surface, natural or manmade. If you’ve experienced carpet burn, then you probably have only a fraction of an idea of the type of excruciating pain that one might expect from severe road rash. The most severe cases require plastic surgery to correct.
The point is this: when you’re on a bike, take extreme care not to make any mistakes while on the road!