May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month – a perfect opportunity for motorcyclists and those with whom they share the road to consider behaviors that can lead to motorcycle accidents and serious injury. The Minneapolis motorcycle accident lawyers at Goldenberg Lauricella encourage you to recommit to safe driving habits this month, protecting yourself and others from injury or death in these all too common accidents.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 4,586 motorcyclists lost their lives and 88,000 were injured in accidents in 2013, the latest year for which full statistics are available. This is a 6 percent decrease in fatal motorcycle accidents since 2012 and the first decline since 2009. The NHTSA reports that over the past 17 years, serious and fatal injury to motorcyclists has typically risen on a yearly basis.
Perhaps this recent decline is due to increased awareness of motorcycles on the road. Perhaps it is due to an increased commitment to safety. Regardless of the cause, any decline in injury is reason to celebrate – just not cause to forget the dangers motorcyclists face when driving among larger vehicles.
The best way to protect yourself against injury in a motorcycle accident is by wearing protective gear. While helmets are not required for people over the age of 18 in Minnesota, wearing a helmet is known to prevent both brain injury and death. In addition to a helmet, it is a good idea to wear long pants, boots, and protective gloves and jackets to help guard against common motorcycle accident injuries. However, none of these are failsafe against injury when motorcycle accidents occur.
If you have been injured or a loved one has been killed in a motorcycle accident, please contact Goldenberg Lauricella, PLLC to schedule a free consultation today. Our motorcycle accident attorneys serve Minneapolis, St. Paul, and all surrounding areas of Minnesota.