When the weather improves and the days warm up, many riders yearn to head out for long rides and explore the countryside. Yet statistics show that motorcyclists are more likely to be killed in an accident than automobile drivers. Here are several reasons why motorcycle insurance is just as important as the gear you wear.
No one likes to think that accidents will happen to them, but unfortunately they do: in Australia, 248 motorcyclists were killed on the roads in 2016, and while riders accounted for only 5.7% of all registered vehicles, they made up around 19% of road fatalities[1]; in the US, 5,172 motorcyclists were killed on the roads in 2017, and when comparing the number of miles travelled between car drivers and motorcyclists, the number of deaths for motorcyclists was 27 times higher than for drivers.[2]
Having the wind flow through your hair as you’re hurtling down the freeway may feel great, but not wearing a motorcycle helmet can end up doing much more harm than good. In fact, studies have shown that wearing a helmet while riding can improve your chances of surviving a fatal motorcycle accident by around 37%[3]. In other words, out of 100 people who die in motorcycle accidents, 37 of them could have been saved if they’d worn a helmet.
In 2017, a survey conducted by the Transport Accident Commission of Victoria of 1,027 riders found that less than half of respondents wore motorcycle riding pants all the time and 2% wore a one-piece riding suit all the time, while jackets and full-face motorcycle helmets were worn by 71% and 72% all the time, respectively.[4]
Motorcycle gear has changed dramatically over the previous decades thanks to advances in technology. It’s even possible now to buy vests that include airbags, which can be worn under your leathers; using gyroscopes and accelerometers, they can detect a crash and deploy the airbags in less than 60 milliseconds. One of the most popular tools in this video-saturated world is that of the helmet-mounted camera, and it’s now possible to buy ones that include 4K video recording, allowing you to have excellent footage in case of an accident or even to upload to video-sharing websites.
Finally, if you’ve spent much hard-earned cash on your motorcycle and gear, you’d like the peace of mind that comes from knowing it’s protected by insurance. Swann motorcycle insurance includes many advantages, depending on the level of cover, such as:
-- the option to insure your helmet and riding gear for accidental damage;
-- a discount for covering more than one bike on the same policy;
-- new motorcycle replacement if your bike is less than two years old;
-- agreed or market value, as well as cover for a long list of non-standard modifications;
-- cover if you use your bike for business or food delivery;
-- 24/7 personal and roadside assistance in case of accident or injury.
Check out Swann Insurance website today for more details.
[1] http://research.qut.edu.au/carrsq/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2017/05/FINAL-Motorcycle-Safety-2017-08-18-1030-screen.pdf
[2] http://www.iihs.org/topics/fatality-statistics/detail/motorcycles-and-atvs
[3] http://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-motorcycle-crashes
[4] http://www.tac.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/334660/Motorcycle-Monitor-2017-Report.pdf
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