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According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motorcyclists are 35 times more likely to be involved in a fatal motor vehicle crash than people in cars, trucks or other passenger vehicles. Additionally, their statistics cite that motorcycles are involved in 11 percent of all accidents nationwide.

Given that head injuries are the primary reason for death in motorcycle accidents, it is important that Wisconsin motorcyclists know the laws, how to best keep themselves safe and what protection or compensation is available to them in the event of an accident.

State and county data tell the story

According to the Department of Transportation, a total of 40,144 people were injured in Wisconsin in motor vehicle accidents in 2011 and nearly 5.25 percent of those were on motorcycles. Of the 565 people who died on state roads that year, more than 14 percent were riding on motorcycles. La Crosse County experienced 7.5 percent of all statewide motorcycle fatalities and a total of 69 motorcycle collisions that same year.

Further data reports:-80 motorcyclists were killed as a result of 79 fatal accidents-Only 15 of those motorcyclists who died were confirmed to have been wearing a helmet-63 motorcyclists who died were not wearing a helmet or could not be confirmed wearing a helmet-2,100 motorcyclists were injured in a total of 1,794 injury accidents-Helmets were worn by 40 percent of motorcyclists involved in accidents

The risk of head or neck trauma, brain injuries and spinal cord injuries in any automobile accident but especially in motorcycle accidents is high and motorcyclists must take great care at all times.

Further state data shows that 15.83 percent of motorcycle accidents results from an angled impact with another vehicle, 12.27 percent were rear-end collisions and almost 8 percent involved being side-swiped. Nationally, the NHTSA statistics report that more than 50 percent of motorcycle accidents involve other vehicles and 42 percent of fatal motorcycle crashes resulted from a car making a left-hand turn in front of a motorcycle proceeding straight.

Safety requirements for motorcyclists

In Wisconsin, only drivers under the age of 18 or holding a learner's permit are required to wear helmets. However, all motorcyclists must wear appropriate eye protection at all times. At a minimum, all bikers should adhere to these laws at all times.

If you are involved in a motorcycle crash

Because the chance of being injured in a motorcycle crash caused by another vehicle on the road is high, you will want to know your rights and how to obtain the proper protection and compensation. Be sure that you detail all accident specifics, take photos and gather witness data if you are able. The more information you can collect at the scene of the accident, the better off you will be. If you are unable to do this because of injury or other safety reasons, you can still have options for recourse. Working with an experienced attorney is highly recommended in these situations as there can be many ways that you can be neglected your fair rights if your case is not properly handled. Be sure to contact a professional if you have been involved in an accident to keep yourself safe.