Riding a motorcycle comes with its own set of risks and precautions but riding a motorcycle while pregnant is a whole different story. The question regarding the risks and safety of a motorcycle is a highly sensitive topic. Lots of people swear by their beliefs that motorcycles are death machines and say that they’ll never ride a motorcycle as long as they live. Other people, riders, say that motorcycles are only as dangerous as the person driving next to you.
When it comes to riding a motorcycle while pregnant, the whole idea of motorcycles is put to the question. Of course, a rider would tell you that riding a motorcycle is no less dangerous than driving your car if you were wearing the proper gear and equipment. And some riders actually also swear by this. Sadly, it’s not exactly the best argument as a lot of incidents that include motorcycles result in far greater injury and deaths than accidents involving cars.
In a Hurry? Is it safe to ride a motorcycle whiles you are pregnant?
It is ok to ride a motorcycle during your pregnancy. It’s a form of exercise that is good for you and the baby. Try to avoid riding a motorcycle in the third trimester of your pregnancy, since you will lose balance more easily during this period.
However, you always have the usual risk of being hit by another vehicle. This could cause injury to your unborn child, so you might consider being extra careful and leaving the motorcycle in the storage for a month or nine.
How dangerous are motorcycles?
I don’t want to turn this into a spirited debate but it’s proven that more fatal incidents occur on motorcycles than on cars. There are lots of statistics and studies done on this matter and a lot of them result in concluding that motorcycles do indeed provide much greater risks than cars.
It’s a fact that motorcycles are dangerous. Don’t get me wrong. All vehicles are dangerous to an extent if people were reckless, but motorcycles are extra dangerous. Not only do you have no protective cage, seatbelts, or airbags with you, some motorcycle crashes have riders flung out of their bikes flying 20-30 meters away at 80 km/h.
Driving on a motorcycle is dangerous, resulting in motorcyclist fatalities 27 times more frequently than passenger car occupant fatalities per vehicle mile traveled. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) tracks fatal injuries suffered in motor vehicle traffic crashes.
As an example, in the United States alone, motorcycles account for only three percent of registered vehicles and yet, motorcyclists accounted for 14 percent of all traffic fatalities in 2014 and 17 percent of all occupant (both driver and passenger) fatalities. Unfortunately, the number of deaths continues to rise. Data from NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System show that motorcycle-related deaths increased by 58 percent from 2000 to 2014.
I’m not trying to sway anyone from riding motorcycles, in fact, I’m an avid enthusiast and encourage it. I just want to point out the inherent risks involved.
Motorcycles are death machines?
Well, I wouldn’t go so far as to call them that. There’s a huge stigma against motorcycles and riding all around the world. Even up until now my mother would still refer to my ride as a casket with two wheels. She’s not wrong, though. Motorcycles indeed are dangerous, but so are bicycles, cars, trucks, boats, and airplanes.
I’ve always found it peculiar how if someone were to have a fatal crash on a motorcycle, it’s the motorcycle’s fault and suddenly those things are death machines. But if it’s any other vehicle that gets into an accident, suddenly it’s the driver who or some other external element that’s at flaw. Never the vehicle. Cars get into accidents all the time. I don’t hear anyone telling me they’re caskets with four wheels.
Motorcycle safety equipment
Helmets, jackets, pants, gloves, and boots are now at a place where riders can feel utmost security while riding when wearing them, especially the high-end and expensive ones. Wearing appropriate and good quality gear does indeed greatly reduce the number of injuries one would get in an accident but wearing a helmet doesn’t make you invincible.
Yes, motorcycle safety equipment has come a long way, even just in the past couple of years and yes, wearing safety equipment will protect you from scrapes, bruises, and possibly even broken bones. But motorcycle safety equipment will only protect you up to a certain speed or a certain impact force. If you hit a wall fast enough and strong enough, even the best and most expensive motorcycle safety equipment won’t be able to save you.
New technology makes riding safer
Motorcycle helmets are safer than ever and new advancements in technology have even allowed for a motorcycle safety vest which works like an airbag; deploying and mitigating forces in an impact.
Helmets nowadays are better equipped to handle the rigorous forces a rider might experience in the event of a crash. Helmets now come with dual or even triple density foam padding and high-quality shells made of different materials ranging from polycarbonate to Kevlar. All these new material and innovation make riding motorcycles safer than ever.
A new piece of safety equipment originally only found in cars is also now making its way to motorcycles. Companies have now found a way to place airbags into a motorcycle jacket. This would undoubtedly help in mitigating great forces when a motorcyclist impacts a car or the road.
But even with all these advancements, there’s no guarantee that riding would indeed be safer for women who are with child. These safety equipment are transfixed on keeping the rider alive. They’re designed to increase the chances of the rider surviving a crash. These were never designed with pregnant women in mind. In fact, no motorcycle equipment is designed with pregnant riders in mind. This may largely be a result of motorcycle gear manufacturers not considering the idea of pregnant women riding bikes.
It’s not the ride, it’s the rider
Motorcyclists have long used this argument when safety comes into question. To be fair, one can say this about any vehicle on the road. By this logic, all vehicles on the road have the potential to be deadly. But okay, we’ll focus on just motorcycles for now. If a pregnant woman says they’ll be super extra careful on their ride then who am I to put their abilities in to question. Sure you would be careful and take extra precaution but you’re not the only vehicle on the road.
Motorcycles are already quite difficult to spot because of their size. If we factor in distracted driving, obstruction from view, and blind corners, we’ll begin to understand the danger associated with motorcycle riding. Motorcycles are only as safe as the road they’re on and the drivers they’re on the road with.
Motorcycles and pregnancy
In a pregnancy, there are two lives to consider: the mother and the baby. Though some doctors don’t necessarily advise pregnant women against riding motorcycles, doctors generally recommend that pregnant women should try to avoid any sort of high-risk activities because of the potential to harm the baby. Doctors add that motorcycle riding brings no benefit to the baby.
Motorsports and motorcycle riding are by themselves a risky undertaking. Riding a motorcycle puts a lot of strain onto the rider. When riding a motorcycle, your heart rate speeds up, the level of adrenaline and cortisol in your bloodstream increases, and your muscles work effectively to maintain balance. And like every sport, motorcycle riding comes with its own risks of bodily injury, disability or death.
Pregnant riders
Even with this data, I was still able to come across several accounts of pregnant women who were 24 weeks into their pregnancy and were still riding. Some of these women stated that their doctors never advised them against riding and that they should just continue to do what they had been doing.
However, these women also stated that their doctors only told them that they should continue riding as long as they feel comfortable. Furthermore, most accounts of female riders who rode even though they were pregnant said that they stopped riding at around the second trimester as they no longer felt safe or comfortable.
Possible injuries and risks
Riding motorcycles put a significant strain on the body. When riding, a pregnant woman’s uterus can be exposed to shocks and vibrations that can have an effect on the implantation of the embryo in the early stages of pregnancy. If a woman rides motorcycles in the second or third trimester and gets into an unfortunate accident, it may potentially cause damage to the ligaments supporting the uterus or even irreversible damage to the fetus.
Adding to the potential physical risks a woman might expose herself to when while riding is the added stress. Conflict with other road users can cause undue anxiety and stress. Such events cause the appearance of negative emotions. Stress and anxiety experienced by a woman may adversely affect brain development and possibly weaken the cognitive development of a child. Keep in mind also that the further along the pregnant woman is, there exists a greater threat to the baby should an accident occur.
Even though some women have claimed to be riding motorcycles well into their second and third trimester without any problems, one quick plunge from your bike or one hit from another vehicle could easily cause trauma to your body and to the stomach, which could injure the baby or placenta, or sometimes even lead to premature labor.
Should pregnant women ride motorcycles?
Now I’m not about to go and tell women what they can and can’t do. I love riding motorcycles and I love telling people about them and getting them to ride with me. I’ve even convinced some of my friends to take up riding and some of them now ride more than I do. But if I were asked if a pregnant woman should ride a motorcycle, I’d probably say I’m a bit against it.
Where I’m from, drivers feel like they’re out to kill you. I honestly feel like people, where I’m from, the worst drivers in the world. The evening news reinforces that belief every night. So if I were to base my decision on where I’m from and the kind of driving I see on a daily basis, I would have to say, no, pregnant women should not ride motorcycles.
But like I said, I’m not out to tell people what to do so I would probably leave them with this. In my opinion, all good things come to those who wait. Waiting a few months before you can get back on your bike again is a worthy investment, especially considering that there is another life we’re looking out for.