Accidents between two passenger cars are considered minor collisions. However, no accident is a minor one for motorcyclists. Cyclists are more susceptible to serious injuries for four main reasons:

Motorcycles do not have a strong steel frame around them, so the motorcyclist is exposed to direct impact.
Motorcycles are not as sturdy as other vehicles, and they only have two wheels instead of four. There is a high risk of falling and you can be thrown from your bike in an accident. Motorcycles are much smaller and weigh a fraction of the weight of large cars. Therefore, even a small impact can cause serious damage or injury.
Other drivers don't pay as much attention to motorcycles as they do to larger vehicles. As a result, they may refuse to yield to the motorcyclist, follow too closely, or take other actions that are dangerous to the motorcyclist.
Roads used by bicycles are also at risk. New York City is full of potholes, debris, and other dangerous conditions. In cars, these defects may be barely noticeable. However, on a motorcycle, these situations can cause the rider to lose balance and control of the motorcycle.

Common injuries from motorcycle accidents
Like any other accident, motorcycle accidents can result in broken bones, permanent scars, and burns. However, motorcyclists' risk further injury in the event of a collision.


In the best of circumstances, a motorcycle accident will only result in minor fractures and cuts and bruises that do not require hospitalization. Sadly, however, recovery often involves much more than that.
Due to the serious nature of the injuries motorcyclists sustain, they often require long-term care. In-home care is sometimes necessary for several months after a crash, with accident victims needing around-the-clock support. Physical therapy is usually recommended along with other forms of treatment, and a victim’s life may be drastically changed.

Tragically, some victims never make a full recovery from their injuries. When accident victims are left paralyzed or sustain a traumatic brain injury, they may never become the same person they were prior to the crash. Those are just two of the most serious injuries a person may incur during a motorcycle accident. 



Helmet Use in Fatal Motorcycle Accidents
Department of Transportation (DOT) approved helmets can help prevent deaths in motorcycle accidents. The NHTSA reports that DOT-approved helmets are 37% effective in preventing deaths among motorcycle riders and 41% in preventing deaths among motorcycle passengers.
A greater percentage of motorcyclists who were killed while not wearing helmets crashed in states without helmet laws. Overall, in states that did not have universal helmet laws, 57% of the motorcyclists who died in accidents were not wearing helmets. In states with universal helmet laws, 11% of the motorcyclists who were killed in accidents were not wearing helmets. in California, 7% of motorcyclists who were killed were known to be unhelmeted at the time of their crashes in 2020.
Fatal Accidents by Day of Week and Age Group
According to data from the NHTSA, fatal motorcycle accidents occurred more frequently on weekends vs. weekdays. Out of the 5,579 fatal accidents that happened in the U.S. in 2020, 2806 happened over the 36 hours between Fridays at 6 pm and Mondays at 5:59 am. The remaining 2,765 fatal motorcycle accidents happened over the 54 hours between Mondays at 6 am and Fridays at 5:59 pm.
Among those who were killed, 706 were between the ages of 25 and 29, the age group with the highest number of fatalities. The second-highest number of fatalities occurred with motorcyclists between the ages of 30 and 34 with 690 deaths. Riders aged 65 and over had the third-highest number of crash fatalities with 530.