Motorcycle Crashworthiness

A motorcycle’s crashworthiness, or its ability to withstand a collision with minimal injury to the cyclist, is a strong factor in motorcycle accident injury, since, on a bike, even a small collision can cause severe personal injury and even fatalities. A motorcycle’s crashworthiness depends largely on the quality of its construction and design. A talented motorcycle attorney can hold manufacturers responsible for product defects that contributed to a cyclist’s injury.

Improved Motorcycle Design

Motorcycle manufacturers have made significant improvements on their products over the past several decades to advance riders’ safety on the road. The following developments, in particular, have increased motorcycle crashworthiness:

• Tires have been made more durable with better traction for turning and stopping.
• Braking systems have been modified to improve a cyclist’s ability to brake quickly in a short distance. Some of these systems include hydraulically actuated disc brakes (which self-adjust for wear and are more resistant to wet conditions than older brakes), linked braking (which slows both wheels with the same control), and/or antilock braking systems.
• Motorcycle-mounted rider protection systems, leg protectors, and airbags are being tested by some manufacturers.

Safety Problems with Motorcycle Design

Even on the most crashworthy motorcycle, a cyclist still faces a much higher risk of injury than automobile passengers. Several factors of a motorcycle’s design increase this risk:

• A motorcycle’s fuel tank or engine (in the front of the bike) can cause severe pelvic injury to the cyclist
• Instruments and controls on the fuel tank can cause uro-genital injuries in a crash
• Windshields that are too large can impede a cyclist’s line of sight
• Tires can explode or blow out, causing road hazards

Locate a Motorcycle Accident Attorney near You

If you or a loved one has been injured in a motorcycle accident, enlisting the help of an experienced lawyer is essential to making sure the motorcycle’s manufacturer is held responsible for any design defects detracting from the vehicle’s crashworthiness. Locate a skilled attorney in your area to make sure compensation is pursued for injuries.