A study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal says motorcycles account for a higher percentage of Ontario’s fatal crashes and cost the health system more money.
The study was conducted by the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Services and the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. The study examined Ontario crash victims (26,831 motorcyclists and 281,826 automobile passengers) from 2007 to 2013. It calculated the cost of the crashes to the health care system, and compared the aftermath of the car crashes to the bike crashes.
The findings? According to the study, the rate of injury was triple for motorcycles when compared to cars, and motorcycle accidents were reckoned to be almost twice as expensive to the health care system. Motorcycle crash victims were found to have 10 times the chance of suffering a severe injury. Motorcyclists are five times more likely to be killed in a crash than a car driver.
For a closer look at the numbers, check out the CMAJ abstract here.
: Looking at US M/C accident statistics motorcyclist fatalities are
: in the 14 to 16% range of all traffic fatalities in a number of
: states.
: The headline “motorcycles cause 10 %…..” is inaccurate
: and misleading. In 2016 of 775 traffic fatalities, motorcycles
: were involved in 57 fatalities (7.4% of all fatalities).
: Considering that for the last year of complete accident data so
: far published for Ontario (2014) 43.1 % of motorcycle fatal
: accidents were single vehicle ones (and therefore fault could be
: presumed to be likely due to the motorcyclist) that leaves 56.9%
: to have involved 2 or more vehicles. Traditionally, this sort of
: collision data, in my experience of looking at actual collision
: reports, suggests that about half of the 2 or more vehicle
: collisions where one was a motorcycle, fault could be found with
: the behaviour of the other vehicle.
: So probably about 1/3 of the motorcyclist fatalities are the result
: of errors by other vehicles. Therefore, citizens on motorcycles
: and making errors while riding are principally responsible for
: about 5% of the road traffic fatalities in Ontario.
: Now to look at the medicos report.
SO……. I have looked at the draft scientific and final published scientific paper and both say that as CMG reports.
“The study was conducted by the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Services and the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. The study examined Ontario crash victims (26,831 motorcyclists and 281,826 automobile passengers) from 2007 to 2013. It calculated the cost of the crashes to the health care system, and compared the aftermath of the car crashes to the bike crashes.”
I went to the official Ontario statistics (ORSAR) for the full years 2007 through 2013 (The medical study covered data from spring 2007 to spring 2013) and counted up the following totals for the seven years 2007-2013.
Total number of road licensed motorcycle and licensed moped drivers and passengers involved in accidents – 13,493
Total number persons requiring treatment at emergency rooms but NOT requiring a stay in hospital of 1 night or more – 7,696
Total number of persons requiring a stay in hospital of 1 night or more – 2,064
Therefore the total hospital cases relating to motorcycle accidents in those 7 years should be 9,760, not 26,831.
Why do these figures differ?
Probably the fact that the scientific paper’s authors wrote that the coding system used by the hospitals has never been validated for distinguishing “amongst motorcycles, mopeds, motor scooters and motorized bicycles” and the fact that in looking at information from that source some years ago I noted that there were injury cases of “scooter riders” over 90 years of age reported. Presumably to someone who works in a hospital, a ‘scooter” may be a device to assist senior’s mobility.
The number of bicycle accidents over those 7 years is recorded by ORSAR as 17,861 and the injury (emergency treatment and admitted for at least one night’s stay treatment) totalled 9,299 cases. Maybe motorcycles and bicycles are being confused by hospital staff who probably are more interested in patient care than in recording information for statisticians.
AJ
Motorcyclists have their part in it too. Many are not acting defensively. I also observe incredible ignorance in form of poor attire; in case of accident they get what they asked for. I personally wear tough pants, boots, armored jacket and gloves (part of full face helmet) no matter how hot it may be. I ride for over 30 years.
This brainy study states that motorcycle accidents are more dangerous than automobile accidents—no kidding! What I would like to know is what percentage of accidents were caused by cagers who were oblivious to what was going on around them!!
News flash.
Leaving your house is more dangerous than staying in.
Motorcyclists would be a lot safer without cars on the road. Maybe they should be banned?
well duhhhh, of course they do. Just like auto-bicycle collisions result in the cyclist sustaining more injuries and the same for auto-pedestrian.