TEHRAN — Figures are shockingly indicating that motorcyclists are more likely to lose their lives in crashes as they constitute 33 percent of fatalities in Tehran over the last Iranian calendar year 1396 (March 2017-March 2018), head of accidents department of Tehran Traffic Police has said.

“As per the figures revealed by forensics some one-third of the fatal crashes resulted in deaths of motorcyclists,” ISNA quoted Ehsan Momeni as saying on Wednesday. 

The data published on Iran’s forensics organization official website shows that last year some 1,025 men and 206 women lost their lives in accidents in Tehran. 

Not wearing helmet is the major contributing factor in motorcyclists’ deaths and that’s why the traffic police is levying heavy fines on those who violate the law, Momeni explained, adding that the driver and passenger must both wear helmets of high quality standards.

He went on to say that reckless lane changes, not having license, lane splitting, driving wrong direction up one-way streets, carrying heavy loads which can affect the stability and handling of your motorcycles, riding more than two people on a motorcycle, running red lights, and speaking on the cell phone are among other causes of fatal motorcycles’ accidents. 

According to the website How Stuff Works cars and motorcycles share some similarities. They drive on the same roads, they can be equally powerful, and they both can travel fast. But motorcycles have a few major differences that make them inherently more dangerous.

Any motorcyclist will be quick to tell you skill and smarts are key to staying alive and in one piece. But all motorcyclists start out with some disadvantages. Because they have two wheels instead of four, the driver's balance and driving abilities — including quick reflexes — play a more critical role. And a motorcyclist rides out in the open, rather than inside the steel cage of a car frame. The resulting sense of freedom makes motorcycles so appealing to so many people. Motorcycles are also good choices for delivery jobs as well as violating traffic rules without getting caught.  

However, the advantages come with risks. And because motorcycles are more difficult to see than cars, they're more likely to be hit by other drivers. Without a car's structural protection, a motorcycle rider involved in a crash is more likely to suffer serious or fatal injuries.

Motorcycle accidents can result in serious consequences, including brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, broken bones, and more. These injuries can be life changing and may require a lifetime of medical treatment that can cost tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Meanwhile, even as automotive manufacturers develop new technology to make cars even safer, motorcycle manufacturers have fewer options. Motorcycle features such as mirrors with larger fields of view, brighter headlights and motorcycle airbags can help minimize risk of a crash or the severity of an injury. But in general, motorcycles aren't marketed as safer than the previous year's model or the competitor's model, and they lack the technology-driven safety features available in new cars. Motorcycle drivers don't have time to check out a rear-view camera, for example and motorcyclists can't afford to be distracted by a lane-departure warning.

Just sitting on a motorcycle demands skill and alert driving, but motorcycle drivers face dangers out of their control — and they accept that risk every time they mount a bike.

MQ/MG