We Older Riders More Likely to Get Hurt

Motorcyclists over the age of 60 are three times more likely to be hospitalized after a crash than younger bikers, at least thats part of a report  in the journal Injury Prevention. They found that serious chest and rib cage fractures were very common.

The reports goes on to suggest that reduced bone strength in older adults and their ability to buy more powerful bikes may play a part.

Motorbike groups in the UK say they have seen similar trends.

The study analysed data between 2001 to 2008 from the US National Electronic Injury Surveillance System-All Injury Program (NEISS-AIP) which collects information from 100 US hospitals which have an A&E.

During this period about 1.5 million adults over the age of 20 needed emergency treatment due to a motorcycle crash.

Bikers over the age of 60 were three times more likely to be admitted to hospital compared with those in their 20s and 30s - and two-and-a-half times more likely to sustain a serious injury.

One of the conclusions, : "The greater severity of injuries among older adults may be due to the physiological changes that occur as the body ages, bone strength decreases, fat distribution may change and there is a decrease in the elasticity of the chest wall.

"Other factors such as a delayed reaction time, altered balance and worsening vision may also make older adults more prone to crashing."

They point out that underlying illnesses like cardiac disease, hypertension and diabetes may also increase the rise of complications.

'Keep skills up'

Data on motorbike size was not available to the researchers, but they suggested that older adults were more likely to buy bikes with larger engines - leading to more severe injuries.

Upper body fractures were more common in older adults while arm, shoulder and hand fractures were more likely in those that were younger.

This may be due to their faster reaction times - sticking their arms out to protect their fall.