Motorcycle injuries on the rise: study

While the number of people injured in motor vehicle traffic crashes has declined in the past decade, motorcycle injuries continue to increase each year, according to a new report (.pdf file) from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

NHTSA researchers studied police-reported data for 2,491,000 people injured in motor vehicle crashes in 2007. Of those, 103,000 (4 percent) were motorcyclists. Motorcyclists injured in motor vehicle crashes from 1998 to 2007 have increased by 100 percent to 103,000 in 2007 from 49,000 in 1998.

Additional findings show:

• At the time of the crashes, 63 percent of motorcyclists injured in 2007 were wearing helmets, 30 percent were not and helmet use was unknown for 7 percent.
• Of the motorcyclists injured, more than 60 percent were involved in daytime crashes.
• Motorcyclists injured in crashes increased among all age groups, but the largest number of injuries occurred in the 20-29 age group.

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Source: National Safety Council