How Motorcycle Crash Bars Work

While Oklahoma requires that motorcycles are equipped with certain safety gear, motorcycle crash bars are not one of them and most manufacturers offer them only as optional equipment. Crash bars, however, serve several important purposes, one of which is to prevent serious injury in the event of an accident.

What are Motorcycle Crash Bars? 

Motorcycle crash bars are made of steel and aluminum and connect to the frame of the motorcycle, basically forming a cage around the engine that extends down both sides and holds the motorcycle off of the pavement if it tips over. This equipment has a couple of different purposes, including protecting the engine and the radiator in the event of a collision. The more important purpose of crash bars, however, is to help prevent injuries, specifically to the legs if a motorcycle tips over. These bars are often the only thing between a rider and the road, keeping a person from being crushed under a vehicle that can weigh between 350 and 800 pounds.

Motorcycles are Less Stable and More Prone to Tipping Over 

Because they only have two wheels, motorcycles are inherently less stable than other four-wheeled passenger vehicles. This means that in almost every accident case, a motorcycle will eventually end up on its side and possibly on top of the rider. This type of crushing injury can tear muscles, tendons, and ligaments and can even break, crush, or amputate the leg itself. Riders can even sustain burns if trapped under a hot engine, or road rash if the motorcycle slides down the pavement with the rider’s leg stuck beneath. Crash bars, in holding a motorcycle off of the asphalt and leaving a gap for the rider’s leg, can help a victim avoid the worst of these lower limb injuries.

Leg Injuries 

Of the many types of injuries that motorcycle accident victims can sustain, leg injuries are some of the most common. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that riders are more likely to injure their legs than any other part of their body. Around 30 percent of motorcycle injuries end up affecting the lower extremities. Common injuries include fractured and crushed bones, ligament damage, lacerations, burns, and road rash. Installing extra safety equipment, including crash bars on one’s motorcycle can go a long way towards reducing a rider’s chances of sustaining these kinds of lower extremity injuries.

Were You Injured in an Oklahoma Motorcycle Accident? 

While crash bars can help prevent some injuries, they are by no means a guarantee of safety. If you or a loved one suffered a serious injury in a motorcycle accident because another driver was careless or reckless, you could be entitled to compensation for your medical treatment and other losses. To learn more about your own options for financial recovery following a crash, feel free to call the experienced Tulsa motorcycle accident lawyers at Levinson Law, P.C. today. Set Up a consultation by calling 918-492-4433 or by completing an online contact form.

Sources: 

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10025712/

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8083893/