Nearly twenty motorcyclists die in accidents each year. Photo: Petri Volanen
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An average of nearly 20 motorcyclists die in road accidents each year in Finland, according to a new summary report by the Finnish Crash Data Institute (OTI).
Between 2014 and 2023, 192 motorcyclists died in 189 fatal crashes. Of the deceased, 183 were drivers and 9 were passengers. The data shows that among the riders who caused these accidents, 35 percent were under the influence of at least one intoxicating substance. Over half were speeding, with 43 percent exceeding the speed limit by at least 30 km/h.
“Substance use increases the likelihood of misjudgements and control errors while riding. It also impairs decision-making,” said Niina Sihvola, traffic safety researcher at OTI.
Loss of control was the most frequent cause of deadly motorcycle crashes. The most common scenario involved riders veering off the road at high speed due to handling mistakes such as sudden steering movements or incorrect lane positioning.
“High speed reduces both the ability to control the motorcycle and the time available to react. Collisions at high speed often have severe consequences,” said Sihvola.
Just over half (51 percent) of the fatal motorcycle accidents during the review period involved collisions. Of these, 62 percent were caused by the motorcyclist. Nearly half of all fatal accidents were solo crashes, with no other vehicles involved. Fourteen fatal cases were animal collisions.
Drivers of other vehicles were responsible for 38 fatal collisions over the decade. These were often due to drivers failing to notice an oncoming motorcycle when turning from the opposite or a crossing direction.
Each year, Finnish motor insurers paid out on average 1,530 compensation claims for traffic accidents involving at least one motorcycle. About 80 percent of those claims involved personal injuries. An estimated 1,250 motorcyclists per year were injured or killed in these incidents, with the majority of the injuries classified as minor.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
