A motorcycle can be a fun and exhilarating way to get around, but due to their very nature, they have a high risk of an accident. Spring and summer are the perfect seasons for many motorcycle riders and many of them are out on the roadways. In 2019, the state of Florida reported 9,143 motorcycle…
The freedom of the open road is part of the appeal of using a motorcycle. There’s nothing separating you from the thrill of travel. That’s the thrill and the danger. If your travel gets a little bumpy, a rider can find themselves seriously injured. It doesn’t take much to knock a motorcycle off-balance.
On this page, we’ve collected news stories about motorcycles accidents from around Florida. We have cited all of the stories on the individual pages. Check back with the sources to see if there are any updates if you’re curious about a story.
While you’re reading through the latest ones, take a moment to consider how you can stay safer when riding a motorcycle. First, are you wearing a helmet? Helmets save lives. There’s no airbag or seatbelt on a motorcycle. Helmets are the closest thing we have.
Wearing protective leather is another way to guard against things like road abrasions. It may be hot, but you’ll be thankful for them if you fall over. Be sure to drink enough water if you’ve riding in the Florida sun in leather and take breaks when you need to.
Another thing you can do for yourself is to get motorcycle training. Motorcycle schools aren’t like driver’s education courses. Many of them will teach you how to crash in a safe manner, how to maintain your motorcycle, and teach you the realities of riding a motorcycle that you won’t find in the training manual.
Florida’s warm weather makes it an attractive place to ride. But please be safe while you’re out there. And if you drive a car, look twice before merging! You could be saving a rider’s life.
A Motorcyclist Was Thrown Off His Bike In A Collision Off Del Prado Boulevard
While a motorcycle can be an exhilarating way to get around or just have fun on a day off, but they do come with risks. According to the NHTSA, in 2017, there were 5,172 motorcyclists killed in crashes. This is down 3% from 5,337 in 2016. One possible reason for such a decline could be…
Two Are Dead After A Crash Between A Bicyclist And A Motorcyclist
According to AAA, Florida leads the country in bicycle accidents. In 2017, there were nearly 800 deaths from bike accidents in Florida. Some of the biggest causes of bicycle accidents are failure to yield right of way and poor lighting. According to locals, many motorists fail to obey the traffic laws which are set forth…
A Motorcycle Crash Left One Motorist Dead. The Investigators Have Not Yet Brought Charges Forward.
In 2018, the number of motorcycle crashes fell 5% to 4,985. In 2017, 28% of the motorcyclists who were killed in an accident were intoxicated. A sobering statistic is that only 29% of all motorcyclists were not wearing a DOT-compliant helmet in 2018. In Florida, laws require that motorcycle operators and passengers under the age…
Three Motorcyclists Were Killed During Bike Week This Year
Motorcyclists often take their hobby or their vehicles very seriously. For many, it is a lifestyle, and there are clubs–both legal and not so legal–and many bike rallies held across the nation. One of the most famous bike rallies is the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, held annually in Sturgis, South Dakota. Another is the Daytona Beach…
A Fatal Crash Involving A Motorcycle Results In The Death Of An 84-Year-Old Woman
Motorcycles can be an exhilarating and practical way to travel, but they are obviously much less crashproof than other motor vehicles. According to the NHTSA, there were 5,172 motorcyclists killed in 2017. This number is down 3% from 5,337 in 2016. Per mile traveled during 2017, motorcyclists were 27 times more likely to die than…
Head Injuries From Scooters Are on the Rise Due to a Lack of Helmet Use
E-scooters began popping up en masse in San Francisco back in 2018, causing issues with scooters being left in doorways and on sidewalks, causing tripping hazards. They then began to pop up in other cities nationwide, becoming popular among millennials and on college campuses everywhere. The concept is simple: scan a scooter with your phone,…
Man Accused of Intentionally Striking Motorcycle in Palm Harbor
While a motorcycle can be an exhilarating way to get around, they are more prone to accidents. This is especially true when other passenger vehicles share the road as motorcycles are less visible than the other cars and trucks on the roadways. There are a few things that you can do, however, to increase your…
Motorcyclist Falls On I-75, Crushed By Semi
While an exhilarating way to get around, motorcycles are by their nature, less safe than passenger vehicles. Not only do they not offer the rider any protection, but they are also less visible than other vehicles. In 2016, there were 5,286 deaths in motorcycle accidents. That was up 5.1% from the number in 2015. The…
Motorcyclist Critically Injured on I-275 in St. Petersburg
The Tampa Bay Times reports that I-275 was closed after an injury crash that involved two passenger vehicles and critically injured a motorcyclist. The accident happened on Thursday on northbound Interstate 275 just south of 54th Avenue South in St. Petersburg. At around 9:35 a.m., 58-year-old Diane A. Caraker was traveling north in the center lane…
Multi-Vehicle Crash in Martin County Kills Motorcyclist
According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, a non-profit organization that represents state highway offices, motorcyclist fatalities were down in 2017 compared to 2016. The year saw almost 5,000 deaths on motorcycles, which was 300 fewer than the previous year. This is a 5.6% decrease, but motorcyclists are still overrepresented in all traffic fatalities. Motorcyclists…
Motorcycle Club Helps Family With Expenses After Three Killed On I-95
Motorcycle clubs have a long history in America. The first recorded motorcycle club formed in 1903. It was a merging of the New York Motorcycle Club with the Alpha Motorcycle Club of Brooklyn to become the Federation of American Motorcyclists. Later, the American Motorcyclist Association was formed. Many local motorcycle clubs are law-abiding citizens who…
Motorcyclist Dies Two Days After Crash in Manatee County
According to the Insurance Information Institute, there were 5.6% fewer fatal motorcycle crashes in 2017 compared with 2016. In 2016, 5,286 people died in motorcycle crashes. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motorcyclists were 28 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die in an accident in 2016. The same agency reported…
Public Safety Director Killed in Motorcycle Crash
A motorcycle can be an exhilarating mode of transportation, but motorcycle accidents are more common, and often more deadly than other vehicle accidents. Motorcyclists are particularly susceptible to head injuries in accidents, mainly because even if they are wearing a helmet, there is nothing surrounding them to absorb some of the crash impact. Road rash…
What to Know Before Renting an E-Scooter
Across college campuses and in downtown areas nationwide, electric scooter rentals are cropping up. The concept is simple: scan a scooter with your phone, pay $1 to start it, then pay by the minute for the use of the scooter. If a person is just zipping from one class to another or from a downtown…
Former Firefighter Injured In Accident
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, in 2017, there were 5,172 motorcycle fatalities. This accounts for 14% of all motor vehicle deaths in 2017 and was double the number of fatalities in 1997. 31% of motorcycle drivers who were killed in 2017 were operating the vehicle without a valid driver’s license. 91% of…
Motorcycle and Truck Burst into Flames in Collision
Riding a motorcycle can be an exhilarating experience. Unfortunately, that experience also comes with risk. Motorcycles are inherently risky by design. There are few safety structures and they are also less visible than other vehicles. When it comes to motorcycles accidents, there are a number of contributing factors. Elements such as weather and traffic play…
Motorcycle Officer Suffers From Injury After Accident
Motorcycle crashes are one of the most dangerous types of collisions a person can be involved in. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics show that 80% of all motorcycle crashes involve injury or death to the rider. Most of the accidents involving injury also included the rider being ejected from the motorcycle. Most motorcycle-vehicle collisions…
Deadly Crash Involves 5 Vehicles, 3 of Them Motorcycles
Several states, including Florida, require a separate driver’s license for the operation of motorcycles that can travel over a certain speed. Those wishing to drive a motorcycle must apply for and obtain this specific kind of license. First, they must pass an examination which tests their knowledge of motorcycles and motorcycle traffic laws. They must…
Scooter Accident Leaves Woman in Vegetative State
Motorized scooters for rent have popped up in cities all across the United States. This popular form of transportation is easy to rent – simply find a scooter, use the app to scan it, pay the initial price, and then agree to a per-minute charge. When you reach your destination, simply leave the scooter there….