A motorcyclist was injured in a hit and run accident around 2 a.m. Friday morning in Charlotte, North Carolina (NC).
Luckily, an off duty Charlotte, North Carolina (NC) police officer happened to witness the incident, and when the car that smashed in to the motorcyclist fled from the scene the police officer was able to track down and apprehend the suspects. The motorcyclist was fortunate to suffer only minor injuries in the hit and run accident and is on the road to recovery.
Hit and run accidents are all too common on our roadways. According to the Insurance Information Institute between 2003 and 2006 one in every eight car accidents that occurred in the U.S were hit and run accidents and nearly three times as many hit and run accidents occurred in southern states like North Carolina (NC) as compared to northern states.
Roadway accidents involving motorcycles also have staggering statistics. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 1998 motorcycle accidents were responsible for 2,284 deaths in the U.S. and 49,000 injuries. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also reported that motorcyclists are 16 times more likely to be involved in an accident compared to a traditional car and three times as likely to be injured.
While not every motorcycle accident can be avoided, you can significantly cut down on your risk of both having an accident and being injured in an accident. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 46% of fatally injured motorcyclists were not wearing a helmet. By wearing a helmet every time you ride you greatly reduce the chance of being fatally injured in an accident.
Even if you don’t own a motorcycle you can help cut down on accidents. A large portion of motorcycle accidents involving cars on the road happen simply because the driver of the car does not see the motorcycle. By sharing the road, paying extra attention to motorcycles around you, you can help reduce the staggering number of motorcycle related fatalities each year.
AC