Around 4,985 motorcyclists lose their lives on the road every year.
Oftentimes, motorcycle accidents are completely preventable. However, not everyone on the road follows the proper safety measures. For instance, a lot of motorcyclists are guilty of lane splitting.
Lane splitting happens when a motorcycle rides between cars while the traffic is slow or stopped. In certain situations, lane splitting is completely legal. However, that doesn’t mean it’s the safest choice. All it takes is one car door opening up for a motorcyclist to be slammed to the ground.
Other than lane splitting, what other things cause motorcycle crashes? Read on to find out!
1.Reckless Driving
Imagine, driving down the road on your motorcycle when suddenly a large truck swerves into your lane, cutting you off. Despite your best efforts, you rear-end the truck and are sent flying off your bike. Who’d be at fault in this situation?
An official investigation would have to take place to determine liability. However, the police and insurance companies would likely agree the truck driver was to blame. When somebody drives carelessly, without regard for others’ safety, it’s considered reckless driving.
- Fast Speeds
Moving on, speed is another big factor that comes into play with motorcycle accidents. In some situations, the individual speeding is the motorcyclist. After all, there are motorcycles out there that can go faster than you would ever think possible. Take for instance the Dodge Tomahawk, it’s currently the world’s fastest motorcycle ever made, topping out at 420 mph.
If a motorcyclist decides to speed on a busy road or even an empty road, it can quickly result in a serious crash. At high speeds, it’s easy to lose control of your motorcycle, and go flying off the road. It’s also incredibly difficult to stop in time if there’s some kind of obstruction in the road, like a piece of debris. Arguably, some of the worst accidents are when both the motorcyclists and the other vehicle were breaking the speed limit.
- Tired Driving
Next, driving tired is also a major contributor to both fatal and nonfatal crashes. In a way, tired driving is a lot like driving under the influence. Fatigued drivers have a harder time processing what’s happening on the road.
Decision-making becomes stunted, and the ability to pay attention can be virtually nonexistent. In the worst-case scenario, the fatigued driver will even fall asleep on their motorcycle, or behind the wheel.
After falling asleep while driving, 2 main scenarios will take place. Either the driver will veer off the road, hitting a stationary object or person, or they steer into another moving vehicle. While a truck driver might survive running into a light pole, a motorcyclist could die from the impact.
- Not Watching the Road
Moving on, another situation that can easily cause motorcycle accidents is distracted driving. Distracted driving is just as dangerous as drunk driving since you’re driving with your eyes shut.
Distracted driving can occur in several ways. For instance, when somebody takes their eyes off the road, even for a split second to look at their phone, it’s a form of distracted driving. Anytime you take your eyes off the road, or hands off the wheel, you’re a distracted driver.
Traffic jams are unfortunately a hot spot for distracted driving motorcycle crashes. When the flow of traffic starts to slow down, drivers feel comfortable multi-tasking. They might begin checking their phones or looking in the backseat for various items. A slow-speed crash can result in serious injuries, especially when there’s a motorcycle involved.
Injuries such as whiplash, reduced range of motion, chronic stiffness and pain, and spinal problems. If you’re ever involved in a low-speed crash, especially if you’re the one on the motorcycle, seek immediate medical attention. First, the sooner you seek help, the easier it’ll be to minimize the impact of your injuries.
Next, a hospital visit can help provide evidence if you file a personal injury lawsuit. Proving Fault Having medical records immediately following the crash will help your motorcycle accident attorney establish a link between the accident and your injuries. If the other drivers are found at fault for the accident, they can also be found financially at fault for your injuries.
However, if you don’t seek immediate medical attention the insurance company could argue that your injuries were the result of something not related to the accident. You can use this link to research how to set up a free consultation to see if you have a case worth pursuing.
- Alcohol and Drugs
Finally, alcohol and drugs are also major players when it comes to contributing to motorcycle accidents. If the motorcyclist is under the influence of any substance, their reaction times are instantly compromised. Suddenly, something as simple as merging becomes an impossible task.
Drunk drivers behind the wheel of a car have a hard time noticing that motorcycles are even there, especially at night. Whether the bike is in the driver’s blind spot or taking its turn at a 4 way stop, the motorcyclist is virtually invisible to the buzzed mind.
Prescription Drugs
The drugs involved in motorcycle wrecks aren’t always recreational. Sometimes, legal prescription drugs are to blame for fatal crashes. If a motorcyclist has a prescription they take that doesn’t impair their ability to drive their car,it might make bike riding difficult. Whenever a DUI is involved, no matter what side your own, it’s always a good idea to get help from a motorcycle accident attorney.
Prevent Motorcycle Accidents
There you have it, blank of the biggest causes for motorcycle accidents. After reading this article, what do you think you could do to help prevent a crash? Perhaps you could do a better job at obeying speed signs, no matter how empty the roads seem. Of course, you could also focus on keeping your eyes on the road, and hands-on the wheel.
Pick at least one safe driving to have it you can commit to practicing to make the roadways a better place. For more tips like these, explore the rest of this site.