Is the Highway to Hell the Most Dangerous Road for Motorcycles in Alabama?

If you ride, you may want to avoid the state’s Highway to Hell, the most dangerous road for motorcycles in Alabama. The website DrivingExperiences.com named US Highway 431, a 353-mile route from the Alabama-Tennessee line down to Dothan, one of the world’s most dangerous roads. If you’re injured in a motorcycle accident on Highway 431, contact Caldwell Wenzel Asthana to learn about your legal rights and possible compensation for your injuries.

The World Health Organization (WHO), in its 2013 “Global status report on road safety,” presented traffic safety information from 182 countries, according to Yellowhammer News. DrivingExperiences.com used their data to create a map of the world’s 22 most dangerous and deadly roads. Each is rated on a “fear factor” scale of 1 to 10.

Alabama’s US 431 got a four on the scale, making the Highway to Hell dangerous for motorcycles. The website stated that the most serious dangers are poor visibility, high speeds, and sudden changes from 2 to 4 lanes. There were 33,808 road deaths in the U.S. seven years ago. US 431 was the country’s 4th most deadly road at the time. The roadway was also voted one of “America’s Deadliest Highways” by Readers Digest in 2000.

How Dangerous Is it to Ride a Motorcycle?

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports 4,976 people were killed while riding motorcycles in 2015 in the U.S., reports Ride Apart. That year there were an estimated 8.6 million motorcycles in the country.

The fatality rate for each registered motorcycle was six to seven times higher than the fatality rate for passenger car occupants in 2014. Motorcyclists that year were 27 times more likely than car occupants to die in a crash per vehicle mile traveled. They were also almost five times as likely to be injured.

Factors that make motorcycling dangerous are within and outside the control of riders. There may be bad weather. Gravel and sand can be on the roadway, which may also be oily and slick. Potholes and bad drivers also must be avoided as much as possible.

Motorcyclists can take steps to be safer. Riders can wear helmets, ride sober, be well-rested, get proper training, and not speed to lessen the risks of accidents and injuries. A few more items for riders to be aware of are sunlight and glare that can blind drivers.

NHTSA states that speeding was a direct cause of the deaths of a third of the riders who were killed. Forty percent of those who died were not using a helmet. Many motorcyclists who died in accidents were intoxicated.

Group rides often involve accidents. Riders may copy what the person in front is doing, whether it’s safe or not. Riders pushing themselves beyond their skill level cause accidents, so stay within your limits, including choosing the right motorcycle. Just because you want and can afford a sporty, powerful motorcycle doesn’t mean you should buy one.

Alabama is Dangerous for Motorcycles

The Gulf Coast has some of the most dangerous roads in the U.S. for motorcyclists, according to the insurance website QuoteWizard, reports WKRG. They analyzed 2017 NHTSA fatality data and ranked Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida near the top of the most dangerous states.

Mississippi was ranked the deadliest state; Florida came in fourth; and Alabama was the fifteenth most dangerous state, based on the number of accidents per registered motorcycle. Florida had many more fatalities than Mississippi or Alabama, but it also has far more registered motorcycles. Weather plays a part. Because it’s warmer for a greater time of the year, motorcyclists ride more here compared to colder, northern states.

Alabama is dangerous for motorcycles. There were 1,828 motorcyclists involved in accidents in the state in 2016, according to the Alabama Department of Transportation. Those crashes caused 1,297 injuries and 114 deaths. The number of fatalities was up sharply compared to 2015 (74). The number of deaths was nearly twice that of 2014 (64). For accidents caused by motorcyclists, riders in their 20’s and 50’s suffered the most injuries while those in their 30’s had the most fatalities.

Injured on Alabama’s Dangerous Highway to Hell? Why You Should Get Help from a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

If you’re injured on the Highway to Hell, or another dangerous road in AL, or if a family member was killed in a motorcycle accident, don’t waste time. Evidence is essential to successfully getting compensation through an insurance claim or lawsuit. As soon as Mobile motorcycle accident lawyer get involved, they will start an investigation, making it easier to gather the facts and evidence needed to build your case.

We need to know how the accident occurred, why it happened, and who is responsible. That can be determined through police reports, photos of the scene, witness statements, video from surveillance cameras, and your recollection of the accident. As time goes by, witnesses may be harder to find, and their memories may fade. If surveillance cameras were nearby, over time, the chances that the video will be erased increase.

Our investigation may show that there was more than one cause for your accident and more than one negligent party who may be responsible. That may increase the chances of a favorable settlement or successful lawsuit.

If you or your loved one was injured in a motorcycle accident, call our motorcycle accident lawyers in Mobile, AL, at Caldwell Wenzel & Asthana, PC so we can talk about your legal options. We also help motorcycle accident victims from our office in Foley, AL. Your right to the road is no less than that of any other driver, and you or your family may be compensated when other drivers are negligent.

Schedule your free consultation with our motorcycle accident lawyers today by calling (251) 444-7000.