On Thursday, October 24th, a resident of LeRoy, Illinois was seriously injured when he collided with another vehicle while riding his motorcycle. LeRoy is located in McLean County, roughly 40 miles southeast of the city of Peoria.
18 year old John Kline was headed southbound on a LeRoy city street around 1:30 p.m. in the afternoon. A car headed northbound turned left in front of Kline into a driveway, according to LeRoy Police Chief Jason Williamson. Kline’s motorcycle then struck the car. Approximately 42% of all collisions between a motorcycle and a car involve the car turning left in front of an oncoming motorcycle rider.
The driver of the car, Jeanie Lindstrom, 28 of LeRoy, was taken to a nearby hospital and later released. Kline remains hospitalized in serious condition after being flown to a larger medical facility in the city of Peoria on Thursday. A police accident report revealed that Lindstrom was issued a citation by police for failure to yield while turning left into a private drive.
The state of Illinois has no motorcycle helmet laws, unlike Florida and some other states that require helmets to be worn by riders under the age of 21. It was not stated whether Kline was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.
7 Motorcycle Safety Data and Accident Statistics
- Wearing a helmet reduces a rider’s chances of death in an accident by nearly 40%.
- 3/4 of fatal motorcycle crashes involve a collision between the rider and at least one motor vehicle
- Currently, only 20 states require riders to wear a helmet, compared with 47 states in 1970.
- For every 100 motorcycle fatalities in the US, approximately 37 could be prevented by wearing helmets.
- Nearly 60% of all motorcycle accidents occur at night, while nearly 50% of all crashes occur on a weekend night (Friday-Saturday)
- Per mile, a motorcycle rider has a mortality rate 30 times higher than a driver in a car or truck.
- Any alcohol in a rider’s system increases the chance of an accident by five times.
Helping to Prevent Motorcycle Fatalities
Developing and consistently exhibiting good habits can help riders to stay safe out on the road:
- Wear a helmet – Full-face helmets offer the most protection, survivability statistics are based on research and fact. Regardless of state laws, all riders are strongly advised to wear a helmet.
- Practice/Train – Ride frequently, but take care not to become complacent. Seasonal riders or those with long breaks in between riding should consider taking basic instruction or refresher courses periodically. Experienced riders can still benefit from new information and updated techniques taught in Advanced-Rider courses.
- Never drink and ride – Reflexes and coordination have exponentially greater effects on a rider’s balance and stability over that of a driver in a car or truck.
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