Motorcycle crash patterns

Many of the fatal and serious crashes on our roads involve motorcycles. Many of these crashes are caused by the same factors - or take place in similar circumstances - over and over again.

You can learn from the misfortune of others by avoiding the risky actions and taking special care when you're in the high-risk situations.

As a motorcyclist, your lack of protection puts you at greater risk on the road.

Statistics also show that there are several actions and situations that are particularly risky for motorcyclists. Knowing what these are will help you avoid getting into a crash situation.

As a motorcyclist, you are most at risk when:

• you are cornering
• a vehicle turns right across your path.

The other most 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.

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Last updated: 25 June 2010