Young and middle-aged riders equally at risk in the UK
New report sheds light on the dominating factors in severe motorcycle crashes
18-24-year-old motorcyclists are the most common age group to be involved in a serious crash in Europe, a recent report has shown.
The 2016 Study on Serious Road Traffic Injuries carried out by the EU European Commission analysed data from 9,186 motorcycle crashes across Europe. Nine countries - France, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden, Italy, Austria, the Czech Republic, and England - were involved.
Overall, young riders were the most dominant age group to have been severely injured while on a motorcycle. The study lists lack of experience and increased likeliness to take risks as the possible reasons for this.
In Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK, however, injury figures were equally dominated by those around 40-years old. The middle-aged rider. In Germany, this group was the most dominant. Failure to look properly and careless behaviour were cited as being the most common contributing factors.
The middle-aged group, it claims, may be at risk because of the road types they generally like to ride (i.e. rural and curving roads). Both urban and rural roads dominated the report, compared to a substantially lower number of crashes on motorways.
The most common crash opponent was cars. Though the study found that single vehicle crashes, with or without hitting an obstacle, were also very common in severe motorcycle crashes.
You can read the full study
here.
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Comments
02/02/17 - Stating the obvious
02/02/17 - Young and Foolish in town getting mown down by cars.
Middle aged just past their Direct Access crashing out on the good roads due to total lack of experience and thinking they're Rossi !
There's a surprise !
03/02/17 - How much did this cost the tax payer ? just to tell us what we already know.
03/02/17 - I love born again bikers. Not to tarnish them all with the same brush but Im going to hit you with some maths. Yes, you may be 57, yes you may have ridden for a few years in the 70s and a few years of late. Yes, Im only 37, but Ive been riding since I was 4. I didnt take a riding career break when wife and kids came along. I ride in winter and in the rain. For fun. Not just the odd sunny sunday. Just because you're older does not make you more experienced. Don't tell me how you think I should be riding because, not to sound arrogant, I'm better than you and know an awful lot more about it!
03/02/17 - You sir, are a legend!! I think much the same and even had a similar experience. I get the same in my work - cause I'm younger than most, I don't know sod all... soon need my help when the bikes not working though! Lol
03/02/17 - I still say that getting a car licence is nowhere near as difficult as it should be. To get a bike licence we basically jump thro' hoops with power restrictions etc,but an 18 year old can pass the car test and (if daddy's paying) can drive off in a Lambo. Since yer taught to pass the test and not actually drive on today's roads the whole thing is extremely flawed!