Motorcycle Accidents: Avoiding Accidents With Other Vehicles

On behalf of Lovett Law Firm posted in Motorcycle Accidents on Thursday, June 25, 2015.

There are a few main reasons that motorcycles crash, and knowing what they are can help you be a better rider. Watching for dangerous drivers is just one of the ways you can be safer on the roads. Did you know that around two-thirds of all motorcycle accidents involve a secondary vehicle? Sometimes, these accidents happen because of negligence or because the driver was distracted, which puts other lives at risk.

Most commonly, the other vehicle will have tried to pull out and make a turn left, forcing the motorcyclist to collide with the vehicle as it passes into its lane. Unfortunately, this kind of accident can be very dangerous for motorcyclists because it leads to a head-on collision that can break bones and throw the motorcyclist off his or her bike. Even motorcyclists with proper protective gear could be killed on impact.

To help prevent this kind of accident, you can make sure your motorcycle is as visible as possible. That means driving with your lights on at all times and moving back and forth in your lane to make yourself more obvious. You can also honk your horn if you think someone is going to pull out or doesn’t see you coming.

Intersections are where many accidents take place. To avoid an accident there, always slow down and look both ways before passing through. Even if you have the right of way, it doesn’t mean that someone else won’t make a mistake. When they do, it’s your life that’s at risk, so taking just a few seconds to slow down could be the difference between escaping unscathed or being left in the hospital.

Source: Rider Groups, “The Top 3 Reasons Why Motorcycles Crash,” Kevin Morris, accessed June 25, 2015