What Time do Most Motorcycle Accidents Occur?

It should come as no surprise that motorcycle accidents can result in significant injuries for those involved. Motorcyclists do not have much protection from the force of a vehicle slamming into them. They have no metal frames, no airbags, and no seatbelts. However, there are certain times when motorcyclists are most vulnerable on the roadways. Here, we want to look at when most motorcycle accidents occur so that Illinois drivers and motorcyclists have a better understanding of potential hazards.

what time do most motorcycle accidents occur?

When is it Least Safe to Ride a Motorcycle?

When we look at information available from the Illinois Department of Transportation, we can see that 138 motorcyclists lost their lives during the latest reporting year across the state. Additionally, almost 2,100 motorcyclists were injured during that same year, and 767 of those injuries were considered catastrophic. 

However, what the data does not show us is what time most motorcycle accidents occur. If we look at crash data collected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), we can see that the majority of motorcycle accidents occur in certain timeframes. In particular, motorcycle accidents are more likely to occur on weekend evenings and nights between the hours of 3 PM and midnight.

Digging further into this data, we see that the risk of being involved in a fatal motorcycle accident doubles between the hours of 3 PM and 9 PM.

Why would that timeframe be more dangerous?

  • Between the hours of 3 PM and 9 PM, we will find that this is when more people are on the roadways. Rush hour traffic is dangerous. More people means that there is a higher chance that a motorcyclist will be involved in an accident.
  • Visibility will begin to decrease. Beginning with the sun setting and increasing glare and ending with the sun going down completely, motorcyclists will struggle with remaining visible to other vehicle drivers.
  • Many people rush off to a restaurant or a bar right after work. This can lead to disastrous consequences when these individuals finally do decide to go home. Impaired driving is going to increase in the evening and nighttime hours, which also means an increase in motorcyclist risks.

There are numerous factors that lead to a 42% increase in motorcyclist fatalities during this 6-hour window. It is crucial for motorcyclists to know that this is when they are at the highest risk of being involved in a vehicle accident.

The Weekend Data Can Lead to Confusion

The information provided by the NHTSA does allow us to see that the data concerning motorcycle accident injuries and fatalities is skewed by the weekends. Yes, even though motorcyclists do face more danger each day of the week during the evening and nighttime hours, there is also a high concentration of these accidents that occur on the weekend. 

NHTSA data for a recent reporting year shows that there was a significant number of fatal and injurious motorcycle accidents that occurred over the two-day weekend compared to those that occurred over the course of the weekdays. Nearly the same amount of fatalities occur on the weekends as they do during all other weekdays combined throughout the year.

Working With an Attorney

If you or somebody you care about has been injured in a motorcycle accident caused by another driver in Illinois, it is important to reach out to a Chicago motorcycle accident attorney for help as soon as possible. These cases can become incredibly complex, particularly when going up against aggressive insurance carriers. An attorney will be able to help handle every aspect of the claim and help recover maximum compensation.