Head-On Motorcycle Collisions

Head-on collisions are among the deadliest traffic accidents a motorist can endure. Unfortunately for motorcycle riders, most traffic crashes involve a rider colliding head-on with a vehicle or stationary object.

At Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Attorneys for the Injured, our motorcycle injury attorneys represent victims and families throughout Southwest Florida, including Naples, Fort Myers, Cape Coral and Port Charlotte.

Three-quarters of all fatal motorcycle collisions involve a rider striking a vehicle or stationary object in front of the motorcycle. In some cases, a rider is fortunate enough to have time to lay the motorcycle down. Too often, there is little or no time to react and a rider is run off the road or ejected over a vehicle upon impact.

The number of fatal motorcycle collisions in Florida has followed economic trends in recent decades. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports 500-700 rider deaths in Florida in early every year since 2000. Deaths trended downward during the Great Recession and again during the COVID-19 pandemic, only to rebound to near record numbers, according to data maintained by Ride Smart Florida.

Each year on average, 600 riders are killed and more than 4,000 are injured in Florida motorcycle collisions.

Approximately three-quarters of all Florida motorcycle accidents involve another vehicle. Three-quarters of those involve a motorist violating a rider’s right-of-way. Nearly half of those involve a driver who fails to yield and turns left into a motorcycle’s path.

Visibility of motorcyclists is a leading factor of causation, particularly in frontal crashes, according to the Hurt Report. Thus, accident risks are greatly reduced by the use of daytime headlamps and high-visibility clothing. (Published in 1981, the Hurt Report has been called the most comprehensive motorcycle safety study of the 20th Century.)

Despite common belief that speed plays a prominent part in serious and fatal motorcycle collisions, the report found the median speed at impact was 21.5 mph, with fewer than 1 in 1,000 crashes involving speeds greater than 85 mph.

The average rider has just two seconds for collision avoidance. Still, those without proper motorcycle safety training are overrepresented in collision statistics, while training and experience have been shown to reduce both the risk of collision and the seriousness of injury.

Although total riding experienced of those involved in collisions averaged three years, more than half had less than 5 months riding time on the accident motorcycle.

The likelihood of serious or fatal injury is high for motorcycle riders, particularly those involved in frontal collisions. More than 95 percent of riders and passengers report injuries, with about half reporting serious or life-threatening trauma.

Most fatal injuries resulting from head-on motorcycle collisions involve head or chest injuries. The U.S. Department of Transportation continues to tout helmet use as a critical survival factor. In fact, safety advocates studying Florida traffic statistics after the state’s mandatory helmet law was repealed in 2000, found the number of riders under 21 who died in motorcycle accidents nearly tripled in the 30 months after repeal, from 35 to 101, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

However, wearing a helmet remains a personal preference under Florida law and riders who choose not to wear head protection may still collect damages from an at-fault driver in the wake of a collision.

If you or a loved one has been involved in a motorcycle collision, contact Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Attorneys for the Injured, for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your rights.

Motorcycle Injury Attorneys – 800-646-1210 – Free Consultation