Motorcycles have a level of danger that is unique to the two-wheeled vehicle, because there is such little protection for the driver. Nearly 5,300 people died in 2008 due to fatal motorcycle accidents, which accounted for over 10% of fatal automobile accidents. The fact of the matter is that motorcycle fatalities are proportionately greater than other vehicles, so it is important to be extra alert and careful if you are riding one.
Sunday night, Charles Hoover, a 54-year-old man from Stanwood, was seriously injured as he was ejected from his motorcycle while trying to avoid a car accident ahead of him. The motorcycle accident took place on I-5 in Snohomish County, near the border with Skagit County. The car wreck that the motorcyclist was trying to avoid was between a pickup truck and a disabled vehicle in the southbound lane. Hoover was taken to Colby Campus of Providence Regional Medical Center Everett to be treated for serious injuries. The two drivers in the auto crash were said to have only suffered minor injuries.
A motorcycle accident like this is very tough to avoid on a motorcycle, and I wish Charles Hoover the best of luck in his recovery. This news story is a very good example of why motorcycles are more dangerous than cars and need to be driven with extra precaution. Whereas the motorcyclist was ejected in his attempt to swerve around the accident, a car would’ve acted as a buffer in any kind of accident.