If you are driving a motorcycle and involved in an accident, you have less protection than if you were riding in a vehicle and are more likely to be injured or killed in the crash. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports an estimated 92,000 motorcyclists were injured in 2014, and 
4,586 were killed. There are four types of accidents that happen most frequently to motorcycle drivers: rear-end crashes, left-turn accidents, head-on collisions, and side impacts.
Common Motorcycle Accidents
Because motorcycles are small and take up less space on the road, they are likely to be less visible to drivers of trucks, SUVs, and cars, especially if the motorcycle is traveling in the blind spot of one of these vehicles. When a motorcycle is involved in a crash, it’s usually one of these types of accidents:
Rear-end crashes.
A rear-end accident occurs when the front end of a vehicle hits the back end of another. This can sometimes happen when the lead vehicle stops quickly. When the lead vehicle is a motorcycle, the consequences can be quite serious. Because motorcyclists have little body protection, rear-end accidents can cause critical injuries to the neck and back, broken bones, head injuries, and lacerations.
Left-turn accidents.
When a motorcyclist approaches an intersection with a green light to continue straight, it’s not uncommon for a passenger vehicle making a left turn to crash into the motorcycle. These types of accidents often happen at high speeds, so the motorcyclist can sustain serious injuries.
