Motorcycle crash patterns

Many fatal and serious crashes on our roads involve motorcycles. A lot of these crashes are caused by the same things, over and over again.

You can stay safer by avoiding risky actions and taking special care when you’re in high-risk situations.

Your lack of protection when riding a motorcycle puts you at risk on the road.

There are some things that are particularly risky for motorcycle riders. Knowing what these are will help you avoid getting into a crash situation.

As a motorcyclist, you’re most at risk when:

• cornering
• a vehicle turns right across your path
• you’re not wearing good protective riding gear.

Other common causes of crashes involving motorcycles include:

• swinging wide on bends – this can lead to a head-on crash
• pulling out to pass too quickly, or cutting in after passing
• loss of control – on both straight roads and bends
• collisions at intersections with turning, side-on, merging and in-front traffic
• collisions with obstructions, such as parked cars
• going too fast for the conditions.