Drivers can take steps on the roadways to keep motorcycle riders safe. When a driver fails to exercise reasonable care to keep motorcycle riders safe, and is negligent, personal injury legal protections can help keep motorcycle riders safe from the physical, financial and emotional damages they have suffered.
Awareness is key
Motorcycle riders can be vulnerable on the roadways due to their size and a careless driver can easily cause serious injuries and harm to a motorcycle rider. There are several steps drivers can take to help ensure motorcycle riders stay safe including:
- Know that cars can kill: More than half of all fatal motorcycle accidents involve another vehicle and most of the time the motorist, and not the motorcyclist, is to blame for the crash.
- Keep an eye out for motorcycles: Motorcycles can be hidden in blind spots or by other large objects in the field of view. Drivers should keep an eye out for motorcycles, especially when they are changing lanes or turning at an intersection.
- Check multiple times: Motorcycles can seem farther away than they actually are and it may also be difficult to accurately judge a motorcycle’s speed. Because motorcycles may be closer than they seem, it is important to take a second look for them when turning.
- Keep a safe distance: Motorcycles may slow with little to no warning because they may do so by downshifting rather than applying their brakes which activates their break lights. Drivers should maintain a safe driving distance behind a motorcycle and may want to increase their driving distance.
- Lane changing: Motorcycles may adjust their position in their lane of travel for a variety of reasons including to avoid debris or improve their field of view. For that reason, drivers should always allow them their full lane to travel in.
- Double check the signal: Motorcycle turn signals are not self-canceling so ensure the turn signal is accurate before acting upon it.
Motorcycle accidents often result in catastrophic injuries or death for the motorcyclist even when occupants of another vehicle involved in the accident walk away without a scratch. Drivers should be familiar with the steps they can take to help keep motorcycle riders protected and motorcyclists should also be aware of the personal injury legal protections that can potentially help them with their damages suffered in a motorcycle accident.
