The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently conducted a study showing that Florida has the highest fatality rate among motorcycle accidents, which increased 30% from 2014 to 2015. The NHTSA identified the top Florida counties for motorcycle accidents as Miami-Dade (67), Hillsborough (48), Broward (42) and Palm Beach County (34).
Nationwide, there were almost 5,000 motorcycle accident fatalities, which reflected an 8% increase from 2014. Additional statistics noted that motorcycle accident fatalities occur 27 times more frequently than other types of car accidents.
NHTSA also said that motorcycle helmets saved an estimated 1,772 lives of motorcycle accident victims in 2015, and that an additional 740 lives could have been saved if a motorcyclist wore a helmet during the accident.
Statistically, there is a 100% likelihood that a motorcycle rider will “go down” eventually.
In 2000, Florida allowed adult motorcyclists to ride without a helmet as long as they carried at least $10,000 in medical insurance. This requirement is much like Florida’s current Personal Injury Protection or “No-Fault” legislations which requires all Florida drivers to carry $10,000 in PIP to pay for medical treatment if a driver is injured in a Florida car accident, however motorcycle insurance does not require PIP. State lawmakers are currently reviewing Florida’s PIP statute which may ultimately be repealed and replaced with a law requiring Florida drivers to carry bodily injury insurance, which will cover another driver or passenger’s medical treatment, pain and suffering and other damages, in the event of a Florida car accident.
For more information on this topic or any other, please contact the Schulman Law Group at (954) 349-3300 or at info@schulaw.com
