Dirt bike riding & racing is one of those sports, and hobbies, where the odds are somewhat against you. At some point a crash or accident is bound to happen.
Whatever type of riding you prefer, trails riding or jumping triples on a motocross track, the crash is maybe just a corner away.
For those that ride regularly, injuries will likely happen at one point. Hopefully it will only be something small that an aspirin will fix. But the possibility of a bigger hit that will leave you sidelined for an extended period is always there.
Here we’ll look into the most common dirt bike injuries and some statistics. We’ll also leave you with some tips on how you can prevent crashes and injuries.
What we cover in this article (Table of Contents):
- The 6 Most Common Dirt Bike Injuries
- Statistics on Dirt Bike Related Injuries and Accidents
- Tips on How To Make Riding Safer
- FAQ
- Summary
6 of the Most Common Dirt Bike Injuries
Below follows a list of the most common injuries a dirt bike rider may encounter.
Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned veteran the information here isn’t intended to scare you or make you hesitant about riding.
Instead, we hope that knowing the most common injuries that MX riders suffer from can help you plan your gear accordingly.
Here’s a list of the most common injuries riders have suffered from in the past:
- Ankle or wrist sprains
- Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears
- Broken collarbone
- Broken ankle or wrist
- Head injuries – concussions
- Rotator cuff tears and other shoulder injuries
Ankle & wrist sprains
A sprained ankle or wrist is the result of ligaments torn or stretched beyond normal limits. Sprains range from first-degree to third-degree in severity. With first-degree rated at mild to moderate in terms of pain and swelling. While third-degree sprains result in higher levels of pain, bruising and swelling that affect the stability of the sprained area.
You may be off your bike for a while with a third-degree sprain.
Prevent: use high quality mx boots that prevent ankles from being twisted. Always use proper dirt bike boots. An ankle brace might help if you’re already dealing with a bad ankle.
A wrist brace or support can both reduce the risk of an injury and act as support if you’re dealing with an old sprain.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament tears
Also known as ACL, is the main ligament deep within the knee joint, connecting the thigh-bone with the shin-bone. Its function is to prevent excessive forward movement of the shin in relation to the thigh, and also to prevent excessive rotation at the knee joint.
If this tears, your knees will become unstable and might buckle.
The ACL receives high marks for the most injured ligament area. Usually injured when landing a jump onto a bent knee, or landing on a knee that is over-extended or in an awkward position.
If the knee is unstable following an ACL injury and proper rehab, then reconstruction surgery is required. This is usually followed by a 6-month rehabilitation program with a physiotherapist.
Prevent: using a knee brace is your best bet at avoiding or reducing the impact to your knee in the event of a crash. Your boots will also reduce the risk.
Broken collarbone
Collarbone breaks are also high on the list of injuries sustained in dirt bike accident. This is one of the most commonly broken bones.
They generally break on a direct hit to the collarbone, when you fall on your shoulder or when you impact the ground with your torso. Especially if your arm is stretched out or at an awkward angle, the impact can result in a broken collarbone.
Most heal with just a sling within 4-8 weeks, in more complex cases surgery may be required.
Prevent: using body armor and neck braces can play an important role in reducing the impact on your shoulders and collarbone. But also learning how to fall can help. Use the old tuck and roll.
Broken ankle or wrist
Broken wrists have a common theme, and that’s putting your arms out to save yourself when you crash. Wrists have a complex structure, and any injury, even minor ones are very painful.
Breaks can be quite complex if the bone breaks into several pieces.
A broken ankle may happen as a result of direct contact, either with another rider or your own bike. In some cases it may be due to an awkward landing from a jump or get off.
Both breaks may require surgery to realign the bones. But with or without surgery the injured bones will be placed in a cast for between 6 and 8 weeks.
Prevent: they are in fact hard to prevent. Using quality MX boots is good for your ankles and a wrist brace/support can help protect your wrists. But they can be uncomfortable to ride with.
Head injuries – concussions
Head, and back, injuries are potentially the most devastating ones. Worst case scenario, they can lead to long times of the bike.
When you ride motocross long enough, you’re bound to have a dinger to your head sooner or later. The question is, how bad of a hit was it?
Concussions are separated into four grades: the classic light hit and grades 1, 2 and 3.
Depending on how bad the hit to the head was, you need to rest anything from days to months.
Any individual who continues to have symptoms of concussion for more than one week, no matter how mild, should see a medical doctor.
Prevent: using the best mx helmet you can afford. It’s as simple as that!
Rotator cuff tears and other shoulder injuries
The shoulder joint along with the rotator cuff and its network of tendons and muscles provide riders with the flexibility needed to maintain, maneuver and control a bike.
High speed impacts to the shoulder can cause a rotator cuff tear that may require physical therapy.
The acromioclavicular joint (AC) is one of the weaker areas of the shoulder area. It is the joint where the collarbone and shoulder blade meet creating the AC joint. A direct impact to the AC joint, such as a fall, can cause a strain or separation of the ligaments.
You can be sidelined for anything from 2 weeks up to several months. Ligaments can take time to heal.
Prevent: your best option to avoid these types of shoulder injuries is to wear proper protective gear. A special shoulder support may help, but that’s mostly for support after the injury already happened.
Statistics on Dirt Bike Riding & Racing Related Injuries and Accidents
Statistics is always an excellent resource for understanding risk. What can we expect and what we can do to minimize certain risks.
Statistics on Dirt Bike Injuries
- Retrospectively evaluated accidents over a 12-year period found 1,870 rider injuries. Among those 450 fractures recorded, 50.9% in the upper extremities, 38% in the lower, and the rest were on the spine, chest, and skull. [Source]
- A study looked at motocross injuries treated at a level I trauma centre between 2004 and 2014. Included in the study was only athletes aged 18 years or younger and injured while practicing or competing on a competitive motocross track. In total, 35 athletes was studied, nearly 50% of them had Concussions. [Source]
- Among 249 unique motocross patients registered at a regional level 1 trauma center, between 2000 and 2007. 141 required hospital admission and 20 patients required ICU admission. [Source]
- A study show that on-road motorcyclists are more likely to sustain blunt abdominal trauma, blunt chest trauma, skin trauma, and death than off-road motorcyclists. [Source]
Statistics on Dirt Bike (Off Road) Accidents 2019
- In 2019 4733 motorcycles drivers was killed. Out of them 61 was Off Road riders (1.28 %).
- Out of the killed Off Road riders 70 % were 30 years old or younger.
- Out of the killed Off Road riders 66 % did not wear a helmet.
[Source]
Tips on How to Make Riding Safer
Safety Gear
First is of course your protective riding gear. You need to wear quality gear that fit you perfectly.
If you have been in any type of crash were you hit your helmet hard in the ground, it’s time to swap. No questions asked.
I won’t go into every piece of gear you need. You can find that info more or less all over this site (it’s what we are all about) :).
Riding Technique
You need to always strive for getting better. Improving your riding technique. Try to focus on one thing that you want to improve every time you ride. That adds up.
Try taking a hands-on riding course. A good instructor it will make you a better rider, and also have better judgment when to maybe risk it a bit and when not to.
If you think getting a riding course is too expensive, search YouTube for good riding lessons or use our riding tips.
Always ride with buddies, never alone.
Kids should never be alone when riding and dirt bikes should not be regarded as toys. And for children, it’s very important to have the right size gear and bike.
FAQ
In a study covering only dirt bike racing, the overall incidence of motocross injuries was 94.5 per thousand, stadium dirt bike competitions (supercross) had a 150 per thousand rate and outdoor motocross races a rate of 76 per thousand representing a risk of accident of 22.72 per thousand hours of riding.
Yes you can. Common causes of dirt bike riding injury include uneven terrain, falls during jumps, and collisions with other riders. The most common areas for trauma are the wrist/ankle, knee, neck or head. Abrasions are diagnosed in many cases as well as fractures and sprains.
ATVs are involved in fewer accidents, but with deadlier outcomes than those of dirt bikes. Victims of ATV incidents were found to be 50% more likely to succumb to their injuries and 55% more likely to be taken to the intensive care unit in comparison to victims of dirt bike crashes.
A study in one level I trauma centre, 38% of all dirt bike injuries encountered were aged less than 20 years with the most commonly sustained injuries being orthopaedic extremity trauma.
Summary
When riding it’s always best to practice safe riding techniques, learn how to ride defensively and strategically to avoid crashes.
And of course, wear complete protective gear from head to toe.
When the crash happens, and it will, don’t be too hard on yourself. It happens to us all.
If you unfortunately get injured a big factor in making the healing process faster is to stay in good physical condition. A strong and active body will help you get back on the bike faster.
Dirt bike injuries happen but remember that everything we do has certain risks.
Stay safe out there!
