A Simple Explanation As To Why Motorcycles Don't Have Seatbelts

Motorcycles are a fast, maneuverable mode of transportation. In most states, riders can split the lane, driving between cars on the highway and zipping through traffic. It's a freeing experience that one can't get in a sedan. However, that freedom comes with some heightened safety risks. When a car gets into an accident, the passengers are typically protected by the seatbelt (and the shell of the vehicle). Motorcyclists don't receive the same safety precaution.

With all that lane-splitting combined with how easy it is for drivers to forget about motorcyclists or not see them in their blindspots, you would think that motorcycles would be engineered with every safety device possible. Yet, when looking for one of the safest motorcycles to ride, seatbelts are not even a part of the equation. You might think to yourself, "Well, cars didn't always have seatbelts. Maybe one day motorcycles will get them." But the reality is, no, they won't. That's because the environment of an enclosed vehicle, like a car or truck, is drastically different from a motorcycle. While you don't want your body to be ejected from a car in the middle of a collision, that's exactly what you want when on a motorcycle.

Newton's laws of motion are vital considerations when designing vehicles. Newton's first law states that an object in motion remains in motion unless acted on by an external force. Consider a motorcycle cruising at 60mph suddenly slamming into an oncoming vehicle. With a seatbelt, the rider is going to come to an abrupt stop along with the motorcycle and go where the motorcycle goes. A motorcycle is smaller and can be crushed by another vehicle, or it can fly off the road if impacted with enough force.

In the latter case, when the bike comes back down, the rider isn't only dealing with the impact of the ground, but also the weight of the bike, too. Even with the best full-face motorcycle helmet, this could prove fatal at high speeds. That's why motorcycles lack seatbelts by design.

Without a seatbelt, colliding with an object moving at the speeds Kawasaki's fastest motorcycles travel will likely eject the rider away from the crash, which is relatively less damaging. Sure, they will likely sustain some injuries when they're thrown from their bike, but they have a higher chance of walking away to ride another day. In 2021, there were 83,000 motorcyclists injured. Of all the motorcycle accidents in that same year, 5,932 resulted in deaths. However, those numbers would probably be significantly worse if motorcycles came equipped with seatbelts.