Young Motorcycle Riders Less Likely To Sustain Serious Injury
A recent study from Brown University found that older bikers are much more likely to end up in the hospital with serious injuries than younger riders are. Bikers over 60 are 2 1/2 times more likely than riders in their twenties and thirties to find themselves in the emergency room due to an accident. Brown’s study was published in the journal Injury Prevention in early February 2013; it examined 1.5 million motorcycle accidents between 2001 and 2007.
Middle-aged motorcyclists were slightly less unlucky than older riders—but still 66% more likely to sustain serious injury than younger bikers. Middle-aged and older adults suffer more internal organ injuries than younger riders (particularly brain injuries); younger bikers sustain more non-serious injuries, like contusions, abrasions, strains, and sprains. Throughout all age groups, bone fractures are the most common injuries. The study also shows that older and middle aged adults suffer more upper-trunk fractures; young bikers are more likely to break their arms. The authors of the study: “The greater severity of injuries among older adults may be due to the physiological changes that occur as the body ages. Bone strength decreases, subcutaneous and visceral fat distribution may change, and there is a decrease in the elasticity of the chest wall…Other factors such as delayed reaction time, altered balance and worsening vision may also make older adults more prone to getting into crashes,”
Many more Americans have taken up motorcycling in recent years (or returned to it after a few years away); bikers age 50 and older make up a quarter of all U.S. bikers, and their numbers have more than doubled since 1990. Earlier studies demonstrated injuries in riders age 65 or older increased 87% between 2001 and 2007, and fatalities increased by 145%. Brown’s study was different, in that looked at specific types of non-fatal injuries between 2001 and 2007. All told, the study found older riders had a 35% hospitalization rate; middle-aged riders had a rate of 25%; and young riders had a rate of 15%. “The highest rates of hospitalization were for injuries to the head/neck, upper trunk and lower trunk, with older adults being hospitalized approximately half the time they sustained injuries to these sites,” the study’s authors wrote. They went on to suggest two possible ways of reducing injuries among older riders—protective chest gear usage and training specific to aging riders.
If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident, contact 844 See Mike, for a free consultation at 312-224-4695. 844 See Mike, handles personal injury cases throughout Illinois. 844 See Mike, will handle your personal injury case quickly, will advise you every step of the way, and will not hesitate to go to trial for you. This litigation strategy will provide you with the best possible compensation.
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