The Baby Boomer generation that first thought of motorcycles as something cool as opposed to a sign of criminal activity and to a large extent mainstreamed motorcycle riding are now seeing a spike in the number of injuries and deaths related to motorcycle accidents.
According to a recent report by the American Automobile Association, or AAA, which has been summarized in the major media, the rate of people over 60 who die in motorcycle collisions spiked sharply in 2016 relative to other age groups. The report said that the increase in fatalities was more than quadruple that of other age groups, although the number of motorcycle-related deaths did increase overall. Specifically, while motorcycle deaths increased just a bit over 5 percent between 2016 and the prior year, the number of people over 60 who died increased over 20 percent.
The increase in other age groups can largely be explained by the fact that more people are riding motorcycles. Some attribute the unusual spike in the deaths of drivers over 60 to the fact that many older riders really aren’t as experienced as they think they are, since they often rode when they were younger, took time off while they raised families and then got back in to riding in later life. Also, it is one of life’s realities that it becomes a lot easier to suffer a serious injury as one ages.
However, as this blog has reported previously, it is also very important for older motorcyclists in the Los Angeles area to remember that motorcycle accidents are not necessarily the fault of the biker. Many times, a negligent or inattentive driver causes a motorcycle crash, and these crashes can leave an older rider seriously injured or even dead. Compensation may be available to victims or their families under such circumstances.