Many motorcycle accidents involve another vehicle. Typically, the motorcyclist is more seriously injured than those in the vehicle. While motorcyclists certainly need to look out for their own safety, they have a right to expect drivers to take their responsibility toward them (as fellow road users) seriously.
Here are some things drivers need to consider to reduce the chance of injuring a motorcyclist.
1. Judging the speed of a motorcycle is often very difficult
One reason that drivers hit motorcyclists at intersections is that they misjudge the rider’s speed. It’s a particular problem where one of the parties is making a left turn across the other’s path. Drivers frequently find that the motorcyclist arrives quicker than they expected.
2. Motorcyclists can easily “disappear” from view
It’s common for drivers who run into a motorcyclist to say that they did not see them. There are several explanations for this. First, motorcycles are relatively small, so it is easy for them to get hidden by another vehicle or to fit completely inside a driver’s blind spot in a place where a car might still have a part of its shell within the driver’s view.
Second, most drivers are not actively looking out for motorcyclists when they check whether it is clear to make a maneuver. They are usually focused on looking out for other drivers, so may look straight past any motorcyclists that are in their field of vision simply because they are not expecting them.
3. Motorcyclists may need to swerve suddenly
Motorcycles are inherently less stable than cars because they only have two wheels. Therefore, it is easier to knock a motorcycle off balance than a four-wheeled vehicle. Hence, a motorcyclist may need to swerve around a puddle, pothole or object in the road that a four-wheel vehicle could drive straight over.
When crashes between drivers and motorcyclists occur, significant compensation can often be required to cover medical bills and other expenses and damages. Experienced legal guidance can help injured parties seek that compensation.
