The causes of motorcycle accidents and how to prevent them

Here at Roadskin Motorcycle Wear, rider safety is our mission. As bikers, we are passionate about motorcycling and all the thrills, freedoms and adventures that come with it. We've taken a few spills over the years and can say with certainty our injuries would have been worse had we not been wearing protective motorcycle gear.

Motorcycle accident stats can look bleak. Injuries to motorcyclists occur out of proportion to their presence on the roads. They are 1% of total road traffic but account for 19% of all road user deaths. Fatalities and serious injuries fell between 2004 and 2020 but then ticked up again between 2020 and 2022. In 2022, 350 motorcyclists were killed in Great Britain, whilst 5,618 were reported to be seriously injured and 10,975 slightly injured.

What are the primary injuries sustained by bikers?

Common injuries caused by motorcycling accidents include head trauma, road rash, muscle damage, burns, bone fractures, internal bleeding and a biker's arm (nerve damage sustained when breaking a fall). But it's not all doom and gloom. Being mindful of the myriad reasons why accidents occur and the precautions you can take will help you reduce the chances of becoming involved in and lessen the severity of an accident.

What are the contributory factors towards fatal or serious bike accidents?

Failure to look properly. The most common cause of motorcycling fatalities is when another vehicle pulls out into the path of a rider when exiting from a junction onto a main carriageway.

Police often mark such collisions as ‘Failed to look properly’ errors. Other motorists, particularly those who don’t ride a motorcycle, may not be looking for motorcycles in traffic. Even if they have seen you, they may be unable to judge your distance or speed correctly. This type of driver behaviour has recently led to the #TakeAnotherLook campaign.

What can bikers do to combat this? First, we need to make ourselves more visible to drivers. The Highway Code states:

'For motorcyclists riding daily, make yourself visible from the side, front, and rear. You could wear a light or brightly coloured helmet, fluorescent clothing, or strips. Dipped headlights may make you more conspicuous even in good daylight.'

That said, it's safer to assume others on the road cannot see you, adopt a hyper-aware mindset and ride defensively. Place yourself in the best lane and travel at the most appropriate speed. Plan escape paths if a driver crosses your right-of-way, keep your brake controls covered for quick reactions, use your horn to alert inattentive drivers and ride within your limits.

Speeding. 'Reckless and in a hurry', 'exceeding the speed limit' and 'travelling too fast for the conditions' are also significant factors. Travelling too fast means an increased chance of losing control of the bike and a reduced capacity to brake or stop quickly. Even if it doesn't cause the crash, high speeds are likely to result in more severe injuries than if the vehicles had been moving more slowly. Speed significantly impacts a collision’s probability and severity.

Rider skill. 'Learner or inexperienced driver or rider, 'loss of control' and 'poor turn or manoeuvre' also make up the top 10 leading contributory factors. Take time to practise on different roads and weather conditions, and take a course to improve your skills. Mastering manoeuvres such as cornering, filtering, and overtaking, as well as abilities such as brake control, counter-steering, and situational awareness, could save your life. So what we would say is...

... Go back to bike school

Even if you're an experienced rider with thousands of miles, it's well worth considering advanced training or a refresher course to ensure your skills are as good as possible. Safe riding depends as much on mental skills such as awareness and judgment as on the physical skill of manoeuvring the machine.

Learning to respond early to possible hazards in various weather conditions (notably wind and rain) will increase your confidence to manage them. Look out for training with elements including how to manoeuvre your motorcycle in emergencies; road awareness and safety strategies, such as increasing your visibility to others and enhancing your ability to see other road users; and handling special situations - for example, emergency braking, braking while leaning into a curve, coping with skids, and navigating across poor road surfaces (potholes, fuel spillages, flooding and the rest).

Kit yourself out with safe motorcycle gear

Roadskin is laser-focused on providing riders with the best protective motorcycle wear without sacrificing comfort. We continually review and upgrade our products to ensure you benefit from the safest, most challenging, and most technologically advanced motorcycle apparel delivered directly at a great price.

Our specialist clothing will help protect you from impact and reduce the risk of broken bones and road rash in an accident. Super-strong patented fabrics such as Kevlar and Maximite®, reinforced garment construction, and clothing that links together to avoid riding up will protect you during any impact and slide along the ground. Landing on or skidding on asphalt and gravel will quickly shred your clothing and potentially your skin unless your clothing offers certified protection.

Roadskin founder Ian Wilson says, 'Recently I read some good advice: dress for a crash and the ride. That is the Roadskin mindset. No one sets out to have an accident, but if it happens, make sure your gear, from your helmet to your jeans and boots, will protect you.'

Here, Ian shares his favourite motorcycle clothing picks for safer riding:

Taranis armoured jeans 'These are our award-winning denim bike jeans with 26.8% Kevlar - they are comfortable because of the elastane we designed in, and they are single-layer and look just like regular jeans. They're AAA-rated - the highest possible CE rating. Smoothways level 2 armour is included as standard. We have also just introduced the incredible Rheon motorcycle knee and hip armour, a real game-changer that gives our customers an upgrade choice if they prefer thinner armour. Our jeans also have loops to attach to other pieces of bike clothing, including our Easyrider hoodie. If you come off the bike, your clothing will protect your skin.

Easyrider II armoured jacket 'This AA-rated hoodie is constructed with Maximite® fabric and has back shoulder, and elbow armour. Storm cuffs keep the sleeves firmly in place. This is a style that Roadskin pioneered. It was the first motorcycle hoodie in the world to be awarded a CE protection certificate, and we are very proud of our five-star reviews. Comfortable, stylish and easy to wear, this is a great jacket for everyday riding.'

Easyrider winter motorcycle gloves 'Decent gloves are essential. These are premium leather CE-rated gloves with hard-knuckle protection and 3M reflective material to help you be seen.'

Stay safe out there, and for more advice and products, visit Roadskin. If you'd like to see what difference our kit made to our customers who were in trouble, read the testimonies in Customer Stories.