In New York State, motorcycle accidents that result in personal injuries can be some of the hardest accidents for victims to recover from. Not only can motorcycle accidents result in injuries like brain trauma, road rash, broken bones and facial trauma, but due to New York’s no-fault laws, motorcyclists have to directly seek compensation from the party that caused the injuries.
In this blog post, we’re going to go over some of the demographic differences involving motorcycle accidents; specifically, how age affects the kinds of injuries. In 2020, an all-time high of 5,579 motorcyclists were killed in crashes in the United States, which represents a doubling that statistic since the late 90s, and a ten percent increase from the previous year.
In New York State, motorcycle fatalities are trending up; going from 132 in 2019, to 181 in 2020, to 201 in 2021, and to 163 in 2022. Personal injury accidents have remained somewhat stable, going from 3,608 in 2019, to 3,543 in 2020, to 3,719 in 2021, to 3,689 in 2022.
Does age affect the severity of motorcycle accidents?
According to a 2013 Brown University Study titled “Injury patterns and severity among motorcyclists treated in US emergency departments,” younger motorcyclists have many more total accidents than older motorcyclists, but their injuries tend to be less severe. The study found that motorcyclists over the age of 60 were three times more likely to be hospitalized than younger riders, while motorcyclists between 40 and 59 were twice as likely to be hospitalized than younger riders.
Younger riders were more likely to suffer from less grave injuries like broken limbs, bruising, cuts, road rash and sprains, while older riders were more likely to have chest injuries, brain injuries, or internal damage.
Do these motorcycle accident statistics apply to New York?
In 2021:
There were 4,034 total motorcycle crashes resulting in fatalities or injuries involving a motorcyclist.
Ages 0-29: 1,248 crashes
Ages 30-49: 1,686 crashes
Ages 50 & Over: 1,030 crashes
There were 3,834 total injuries and 200 total fatalities.
Ages 0-29: 96% injuries, 4% fatalities
Ages 30-49: 95% injuries, 5% fatalities
Ages 50 & Over: 95% injuries, 5% fatalities
The New York State data in 2021 indicates that older riders are slightly more likely to suffer a fatal crash than their younger counterparts.
In 2022:
There were 3,915 total motorcycle crashes resulting in fatalities or injuries involving a motorcyclist.
Ages 0-29: 1,280 crashes
Ages 30-49: 1,596 crashes
Ages 50 & Over: 1,039 crashes
There were 3,755 total injuries and 160 total fatalities.
Ages 0-29: 95.5% injuries, 4.5% fatalities
Ages 30-49: 96.4% injuries, 3.6% fatalities
Ages 50 & Over: 95.8% injuries, 4.2% fatalities
The New York State data in 2022 indicates that older riders are more likely to suffer a fatal crash than riders aged 30-49, but less likely than riders under the age of 29.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a motorcycle crash due to the fault of another party, do not hesitate. Call us at 845-600-0000 to schedule a free consultation with our personal injury attorneys in Kingston, NY, Newburgh, NY or Poughkeepsie, NY.