What do the latest road casualty statistics for motorcyclists tell us?
The Government has recently released its confirmed statistics relating to the deaths of and injuries to motorcyclists on Great Britain’s roads for the 12 months ending 31st June 2023. Download a copy here.
We recommend that all riders take a look at the numbers and pause to consider what they can do to make sure they ride safely. Discuss them with your friends and family.
Overall, there has been little change in the past five years. On average, 6 motorcyclists die every week.
The majority of injuries are sustained in collisions in an urban environment. The 4 most common reasons for collisions are
- motorcyclists and other vehicle drivers ‘failed to look properly’
- motorcyclists and other vehicle drivers ‘failed to judge other person’s path or speed’
- motorcyclists riding in a careless or reckless manner
- other vehicles executing ‘poor turn or manoeuvre’
One third of motorcyclists are killed without there being any other vehicle involved, usually in a rural area.
On the bright side, the reason that the figures are not worse, is thanks to a combination of greater awareness amongst riders of the factors causing collisions, and better PPE. There are many campaigns and training techniques to help riders avoid that “Sorry mate I didn’t see you” scenario. Clothing, boots and helmets have all improved, meaning that while the overall numbers of incidents hasn’t changed much, the severity of injuries sustained has decreased. In fact, the numbers of incidents of slight injuries reported is definitely lower than the actual number of incidents, as many riders simply do not report scrapes, slides, and tumbles which don’t result in a visit to A&E, where a bang on the head isn’t life changing.
Head and chest injuries remain the main cause of death of motorcyclists. A poorly fitting helmet makes all the difference between a funeral and a few weeks off work. You change your brake discs when they wear out; these statistics are a reminder to change your helmet before it becomes too loose to be effective.
Riding a motorcycle is a pleasure. Wearing the right gear simply means you can get on with enjoying the ride. We can see from our recent survey that the majority of riders say they are replacing their helmet every 3 to five years, which is an excellent trend, but one in four still wait more than five years before replacing it. More worryingly, appearance and cost of the helmet are still cited as being highly significant when it comes to choosing a new helmet, when neither of these factors is related to the safety performance of a helmet.
Explore our guide to selecting a helmet that fits properly, is comfortable, and offers the best protection.
