Surge in 50+ motorcyclists who end up in hospital

ANYBODY over 50 thinking of ditching four wheels for two should think again – with the number of middle-aged riders hospitalised after motorbike accidents soaring by 65 per cent in a decade.

There were more than 10,000 hospital admissions for motorcycle rider injuries in England in 2016-2017, NHS figures show. While under-30s are still the most likely to be involved in a motorbike accident, the biggest rise in the past decade has been in those over 50.

Accidents among this group shot up from 1,320 in 2006/07 to 2,183 last year, while for those under 20 the number fell 39 per cent from 2,707 to 1,657.

Daniel Redfern of the Royal College of Surgeons said the good weather has not stopped it being ‘another summer of awful accidents’.

The trauma surgeon at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said: ‘We’ve treated patients with injuries that have threatened their limbs, as well as spinal fractures and spinal cord injuries resulting in full or partial paralysis.’

Motorcyclists make up just 1 per cent of total road traffic, but account for 19 per cent of all road user deaths.

Mr Redfern said patients involved in motorbike crashes are likely to endure long-term pain, poorer life quality and possibly permanent disability.

‘If a car driver and motorcyclist both have a collision at 30mph, it is unlikely the motorcyclist will walk away from the accident,’ he added. ‘They will be that much worse injured.’

There were 10,073 hospital admissions for motorcycle injuries in England in 2016/17, the figures from NHS Digital show, roughly the same as a decade ago. Those admitted were most likely to be aged 20 to 29, with 2,992 admissions, 2,795 of which involved men.

The RCS said the dip in accidents for younger people could be due to new laws which say riders must be at least 24 to ride the most powerful bikes.

A spokesman for road safety charity BRAKE said: ‘The shifting demographic of motorcycle injuries shows that road safety awareness campaigns shouldn’t be solely aimed at the young.’

‘Another summer of awful accidents’