How to Prevent a Mishap on a Bike
We know that riding a motorcycle can be dangerous; you’re much more exposed than those enclosed in a car or truck. Today, the Car Crash Captain is looking at the top causes of motorcycle accidents, and what those on two wheels and those with four wheels need to pay attention to so nobody gets hurt.
Safety While Riding a Motorcycle
Depending on the statistic, roughly half of motorcycle accidents are the fault of the rider and half are another motorist (some stats put this at 60% other motorists and 40% riders). Sometimes it’s just the rider losing control, sometimes it’s a negligent motorist, sometimes it’s all parties not paying enough attention.
Whether you’re driving a car, a truck, or riding a motorcycle, be aware of these causes of motorcycle accidents.
Left Hand Turns – Turning left means you’re crossing an oncoming traffic lane. The majority of fatal motorcycle crashes are because a car or truck turns in front of the motorcycle because they “didn’t see them coming.” Motorcycles are harder to see, so take a second, third, or fourth look before making that left-hand turn. For those riding, pay extra attention if an oncoming vehicle is about to turn left.
Lane Changes – Due to the smaller footprint that a rider and the motorcycle make, they fit into that blind spot more easily. If you’re riding on two wheels, get out of that blind spot quickly. If you’re driving a vehicle, remember SMOG – Signal, Mirror, Over-the-Shoulder, Go. Many drivers skip looking over the shoulder where they would have seen the biker and cause a collision.
Open Doors – Cars parked along the side of the road may swing their door open and cause a collision (this is especially a problem with bicycle riders as they tend to ride closer to the edge of the lane). Just like the previous three scenarios, it’s easier to see an approaching vehicle than a motorcycle, so look another time to be safe.
Speeding – One of the biggest causes of motorcycle accidents and car accidents is people simply going too fast. If you have 10 miles to drive, driving 50 miles per hour in a 35 mile per hour zone only saves you 5 minutes. It’s almost never worth the risk. Besides, being pulled over and written a ticket is going to take much longer than the 5 minutes you were hoping to save.
Distracted Driving – Talking, texting, snapchatting, even applying makeup, eating, or fiddling with the radio – they’re all forms of distracted driving. Be aware of other drivers and if their actions seem “off” give them a little more room and don’t put yourself in danger.
Driving Under the Influence – We shouldn’t really even need to talk about this. It’s just a bad idea no matter how “sober” you might feel after drinking.
Road Conditions – A small patch of gravel, a branch, a pile of leaves, or a pothole might not be a big deal for a car (other than the potential for some mechanical issues). But it’s one of the leading causes of motorcycle accidents because if you lose traction with one of the two wheels, you’re quite likely to wreck.
Herbert Law Group Works with Motorcycle Accident Victims
When you’re riding on two wheels, and you’re the victim of someone else’s negligent driving, you shouldn’t have to face off with the insurance companies by yourself.
Let Herbert Law Group do the hard legal work for you. You focus on healing from your injuries.
Before we can help, though, we need to know what happened. Call our office at 214-414-3808, or fill out the contact form on our site, and let’s have a free conversation about what happened.