There are various factors which result in road accidents, and some of the most noted ones being texting while driving, the influence of alcohol, and poor conditions of roads. But now, researchers have found a surprising reason which reportedly has increased the number of motorcycle accidents. According to a new study, it has been found that motorcycle accidents on nights illuminated by the full moon are increased by 5 percent when compared to motorcycle crashes on normal nights.
Before making this conclusion, researchers made use of data from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. According to the researchers, the number of accidents increased by 32 percent when supermoons graced the skies.
Even though there are no concrete pieces of evidence to substantiate the direct links between the full moon and motorcycle accidents, researchers believe that it is the minor distraction created by the Earth's natural satellite on the sky that results in these fatal crashes.
"Glancing at the full moon takes the motorcyclist's gaze off the road, which could result in a loss of control. The average ride on a motorcycle is more dangerous than a drunk driver with no seatbelt traveling the same distance. Because of this, we recommend riders and drivers orient their attention, ignore distractions, and continuously monitor their dynamic surroundings," said Donald A Redelmeier, lead author of this study, and a professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto.
The scientists noted that the number of accidents in normal nights was considerably less when compared to the crashes happened on full moon and supermoons. As the size of the moon gets reduced, the number of accidents also went down.
"The full moon is associated with an increased risk of fatal motorcycle crashes, although potential confounders cannot be excluded. An awareness of the risk might encourage motorcyclists to ride with extra care during a full moon and, more generally, to appreciate the power of seemingly minor distractions at all times,'' concluded the paper.
