Motorcycle sales have nearly doubled since 1990, and most of this growth has been for riders over 40 years old. The average age of motorcycle owners increased from 33 in 1998 to 40 in 2003. The good news is: older riders use their rides and benefit from their life experience for the motorcycle community. Bad news: older riders are injured and killed at significantly higher rates than young riders. The average age of motorcycles affected by accidents that required inpatient care from 1996 to 2005 increased from 34 to 39 years. At the same time, the proportion of all wounded horsemen, whose age was 40 years, increased from 28 to almost 50 percent. The share of riders from 20 to 29 years old, injured in accidents, actually decreased.
Using the records of National Trauma Databank, University of Rochester Medical Center, ER physicians, view medical records for more than 60,000 motorcycle injuries for cyclists aged 17 to 89 years. Their conclusions should make senior bikers pay attention.
Riders over 40 people longer stay in intensive care units and hospitals, suffered more severe injuries and more often died from their injuries than a junior rider. Their risk of death from injury was 1.5–2 times higher than that of young riders with similar injuries. They were more likely to die from more severe injuries and more likely to spend 24 hours or more in intensive care units than younger racers. Their greater vulnerability is directly related to age and health: in people over 40, it is more likely that pre-existing diseases such as heart disease or respiratory diseases or obesity are more likely to complicate their care and increase the length of their stay in hospital.
Fractures of the arms and legs, arms and legs were the most common types of injuries in all age groups. Severe injuries were chest and head wounds, especially traumatic brain damage. Older riders suffered significantly higher rates of these severe injuries.
Older crash cyclists were associated with Loss of control their bike and can be directly related to the physical changes that come with normal aging. Vision, especially in dim light or at night, becomes less acute. The balance may deteriorate, and the reaction time slows down.
The two most important variables of accident risk and accident severity are the use and use of helmets. In these areas, young and elderly riders were astonishingly similar behavior: about a third of the accidents for bikers of any age, alcohol was involved. Young bikers and older used helmets at the same rate, 73 percent.
The departure message for older bikers is clear: your chances of facing each birthday, as well as your chances of getting a serious injury. Go sober, put on a helmet, take all necessary safety measures and do not take risks. You will have a lot more fun if you finish your trip whole.
If you or a loved one were seriously injured or your loved one was killed in a motorcycle crash, and you think that dangerous highway design, driver negligence or a defective product contributed to the disaster, you need to discuss your situation with an experienced motorcycle lawyer. You should do this as soon as possible after the event, so that the investigation can be started while the witnesses have fresh memories and before vital data is lost or destroyed.
