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Do motorcycles have seat belts?
I’ve seen several stories on the news lately about motorcyclists being thrown off their bikes in accidents. Do they have seat belts?
Andrea Barrett · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
No—motorcycles do not have seat belts for the same reasons cars do: it’s safer. In an accident, passengers in a vehicle are safer when wearing seat belts and restricted to the confines of the vehicle. However, motorcyclists are at an increased risk of injury if they’re strapped to their seats and unable to get away from the bike.
Motorcycles don’t have seat belts because of inertia—it’s a law you may be familiar with from middle school physics. The law of inertia states that if an object is moving at a certain speed and in a specific direction, it will remain at that speed and in that direction unless an external force stops it.
For example, if a car is moving at 25 mph and is T-boned by another vehicle, the car will suddenly stop. Because of the law of inertia, the vehicle’s occupants will continue moving forward. Without a seat belt, they’d likely be thrown out the window at 25 mph, and there’s a high risk of injury or even death.
In that situation, the passengers absorb the impact’s energy. But if a seat belt is worn, the energy is primarily absorbed by the car itself, protecting the occupants from injury.
While this is true for cars, it’s the opposite for motorcycles—they don’t have four wheels for stability, and they don’t have a cabin for protection. So, if a motorcyclist is involved in a crash, they’re much safer being thrown from the bike than being dragged with it because they’re strapped to the seat.
While seat belts may not be a thing for motorcyclists, having the proper insurance to protect your bike is—and when you shop with
Jerry
, the car insurance
comparison app, you can find the most affordable insurance rates from top insurers quickly and easily.View full answer
- Gregory R.
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Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.
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