May is National Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Month

There are more than 961,000 licensed motorcyclists in the state of Texas and this month the Department of Public Safety and the McMinn Law Firm want to remind drivers to be mindful of them when they are out on the road. May is National Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Month and last year more than 3,000 riders were killed in accidents across the United States. Motorcycle accidents can cause severe injuries and we encourage riders to wear all of their protective gear when they are out on the roads.

Here are some more motorcycle related statistics:

• Motorcycle accidents have decreased substantially over the last two years from 5,312 in 2008 to an estimated 3,600 in 2010.
• The average engine size in 1990 was 769cc compared to 959 cc in 2001. As engines sizes increased 24 percent, deaths over that same period increased roughly 55 percent.
• 60 percent of deaths from single vehicle accidents occur at night and many of them are the result of failing to properly navigate a curve
• According to one study, the recent decline in motorcycle deaths is the result of fewer recreational riders following the recession
• More than 96 percent of motorcycle accidents result in some kind of injury to the rider