Florida is known for having nice weather all year and avoiding the harsh winters seen in other areas of the country. Due to this, is should be no surprise that motorcycles are a popular mode of transportation all year. The popularity of them, though, leads to concerns about accidents on the roadways.
According to WCTV, 19 percent of the accidents in the state involve motorcycles with them making up only 7 percent of the vehicles on the roads. Since the helmet law was repealed, the fatality rate in accidents has doubled. In addition, every fatality is costing around $1.48 million in public money.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported on nationwide statistics with some state-specific information. According to the NHTSA, helmets could help prevent fatal injuries by around 37 percent, which translates to 37 out of 100 lives saved just by wearing a helmet. In the state, though, fatalities reporting a helmet was used versus those reporting one was not used were fairly even at 238 with and 237 without.
Other factors about accidents were that drivers who were involved in a fatal crash were more likely to have had a suspended license in the past, speeding convictions or other driving convictions, like DWI. There was a higher chance of an accident when the other vehicle involved was making a left turn, and most fatalities were a result of a front-end collision. Motorcycle accidents were also more likely to involved a fixed object than other vehicles.
Alcohol is also another concern, as it is with other vehicles. Night time accidents tended to involve alcohol at four times the rate as daytime ones. In addition, drivers who were under the influence were less likely to wear a helmet. Out of the 467 people killed in 2013 in the state, 29 percent had a blood alcohol content of .08 percent or higher, and 34 percent had a BAC of .01 to .07 percent.
