Riding a bike could be a lot of fun. It could also be dangerous. According to the official statistics, motorcyclists are 37 times more likely than car occupants to die in a crash (per vehicle mile traveled) and 8 times more likely to be injured. There is no surprise here – when riding a bike the protective shell of an automobile is not around you!

What about the age of a motorcycle rider? Does that affect your chances of being injured or even dying in a motorcycle crash?

According to a study conducted in California, yes, the age could be a problem as well.

All motorcycle accidents victims were divided into three age groups in this study:
There were patients younger than 18 years, 18 to 55 years and older than 55 years.

The incidence of severe injury was 23.5% (<18 years), 30.3% (18 to 55 years), 36.2% (>55 years) and the critical injuries occurred in 6.5%, 12.3% and 13.8% respectively.
So, being older does increase your risk of a severe and critical injury in a motorcycle crash.

Older patients were more likely to sustain severe head and chest injury and spinal trauma as well.

The mortality due to motorcycle accidents was also affected by age.
Mortality was increased twofold in the 19 to 55 year old group and threefold in the older than 55 year group compared with the <18 year-old group. Being an older motorcycle rider increases your chances of dying as well.

The study also emphasized the use of helmets to protect passengers from head injury. According to a recent review, wearing a helmet might reduce head injuries by 69% and may decrease the risk of death by 42%. Surprisingly, only 20 states in the Union have helmet laws.

So, if you are getting an AARP card, it might be time to start thinking about ditching that motorcycle. If riding a bike is your thing and you can’t live without it, at least wearing a helmet might help.