The Most Common Causes of Car and Motorcycle Accident

When cars and motorcycles ride along the same lane, there's no question that drivers must look out for one another. The very aspect that makes riding a motorcycle so appealing is the same attribute that puts riders at risk of serious injuries-the transparency and visibility of the motorcycle. Motorcyclists will enjoy healthy journeys as long as everyone shares the road and drives in a responsible way. But the consequences are always disastrous when other drivers fail to identify motorcycles or indulge in reckless behind-the-wheel actions. If, due to the negligence of another driver, you have suffered severe injury while riding your motorcycle, consider contacting an Oklahoma motorcycle accident attorney to discuss your case. For more detail, speak to the Dolman Law Group today.

• Speeding & Alcohol Use by Motorcyclists

Around half of all accidents involving a single motorcycle are caused by alcohol consumption or speeding. This figure is not shocking and these variables often play a major role in collisions between cars and other vehicles. However because motorcycles do not provide the rider with much safety, accidents involving speeding or alcohol are much more likely to lead to death or severe injury.

• Collisions between Fixed Points and Motorcycles

Motorcycles that collide with fixed objects account for 25% of the deaths of motorcyclists, but just 18 percent of the deaths from car accidents. Again since the motorcyclist is not surrounded by a metal box and is likely to be thrown far and hard, while riding a motorcycle, such incidents are more dangerous.

• Motorcyclists Face Road Hazards

Motorcycles pose greater risks from road hazards than cars and other cars do. Potholes, dead animals, slippery concrete surfaces, uneven heights between lanes, and other irregularities or unpredictable obstacles in the road pose a significant safety hazard to motorcycles because of the smaller size and less stable nature of the motorcycle.

Driver negligence is the most prevalent cause of motorcycle accidents. When a passenger vehicle driver fails to exercise care and caution while driving, they put others, particularly motorcyclists, around them at risk of serious harm.

• The Right-of-Way inability to Yield

One of the most dangerous areas for a motorcycle rider is an intersection. Intersections are cited by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) as the most frequent sites for automobile and motorcycle collisions.

Owing to actually not seeing a motorcycle, cars turning left at an intersection sometimes refuse to offer the right-of-way. Researchers argue that this is a cognitive problem because cars simply do not think about a motorcycle or expect it to cross their path. As motorcycles are not top-of-mind for other drivers, when the two meet at an intersection, the consequences are always disastrous.

• Blind Spots

There are plenty of blind spots surrounding a car, despite the side and rearview mirrors. In reality, blind spots include at least 40% of the perimeter of a vehicle. For bikes, this makes lane changes extremely hazardous.

Drivers who make abrupt lane changes without signaling leave little time for motorcyclists to respond. At the hands of a driver who clearly did not take the time to signal or correctly change their mirrors, no one should suffer life altering injuries.

• Inadequate Vision

Many drivers struggle to judge the distance of an approaching motorcycle properly. Drivers often pull out in front of a rider, not knowing the pace at which the motorcyclist is travelling. The NHTSA recommends that prior to entering any highway or city street, drivers wait for motorcycles to pass.

See us at The West Law Firm if you have faced an accident due to some other driver’s negligence. Call an accident attorney also if you are wrongly accused to make an accident in Oklahoma.

** Disclaimer: The above article does not imply a relationship between attorney and client, nor is it legal advice.