When considering the risks that motorcyclists face, people often point to things like a bike’s small size, its speed and power, or the lack of built-in safety features, such as airbags. And it is true that motorcyclists face greater danger on the road than drivers in cars and trucks, in large part for these reasons. However, it’s important to note that the greatest danger that motorcyclists face is actually having to share the road with those drivers.
Other drivers cause the majority of accidents
Above all else, one has to consider who causes most accidents. One study, which used an extensive database of information covering 10 years, found that accidents between cars and motorcycles were the fault of the other motorists in a full 60% of cases. If the majority of these crashes, it is not the motorcyclist who has made a mistake. He or she may be more likely to suffer serious injuries or even pass away, but the other drivers are the ones causing these crashes.
How do they do it? There are a host of mistakes that drivers make, such as:
- Not seeing motorcycles in their blind spots
- Pulling out in front of motorcycles when there’s not enough space
- Turning left in front of motorcyclists when they should yield the right of way
- Merging into motorcyclists without using their blinkers
- Failing to see motorcycles that are stopped for red lights and other traffic controls
- Tailgating motorcyclists so that they don’t have enough room to stop in an emergency
It has been said that the left-turn accident is the greatest danger to a rider, as he or she cannot avoid a vehicle that turns into the lane at the last second. But it’s clear that drivers cause crashes with bikes in all sorts of different ways, and they can all be equally devastating.
Have you been injured?
If you have been involved in an accident with a car while riding your motorcycle, you could be facing high medical bills and other costs. You need to know what rights you have to seek financial compensation.