What Are the Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 80 percent of motorcycle accidents result in injury or fatality. The high rate of injury and fatality is attributable to the motorcycle structure, where the rider and the passenger are not covered as it is with cars. For survivors, motorcycle crashes can lead to severe, life-altering injuries such as spinal cord injury, head injury, and traumatic brain injury.
Motorcycle crashes may occur due to the negligence of another party, such as a motorist. If you suspect your motorcycle accident resulted from the carelessness of another party, file a motorcycle accident claim.
Through the claim, you can recover damages for property damage, lost wages, medical expenses, permanent disability, pain, and suffering. While the compensation can greatly vary depending on crash severity, work with a reputable motorcycle injury attorney to maximize reimbursement for your claim.
To avoid getting involved in a motorcycle crash, you need to understand what causes these accidents and how to avoid them. Learn the top causes of motorcycle accidents.
Inexperienced Riding
Inexperienced riding is one of the top causes of motorcycle accidents. NHTSA reports that in 2019, 30 percent of riders involved in fatal accidents did not have valid motorcycle licenses.
For amateurs, driving too fast, making unsafe moves, or attempting risky stunts can quickly turn into a crash. Also, some people will just start riding without getting training first. An untrained motorcyclist can endanger their life and the lives of other road users.
Before getting on the road, every motorcycle rider should get adequate training and learn how to operate motorcycles, gauge conditions, and manage different situations. If you haven’t completed your motorcycle classes, finish your classes before you hit the road. And if you’re a newly licensed rider, avoid risky behaviors such as speeding, which increases the odds of an accident.
Lane Splitting
Lane splitting is where a motorcycle rider rides between lanes of still or slow-moving cars. Lane splitting is illegal in most states, but riders continue to risk their lives in this unlawful act. Lane splitting is especially perilous to inexperienced motorcyclists.
Lane splitting is very dangerous since riders are less visible to drivers, and collisions are almost unavoidable due to the limited space between rider and vehicle. For instance, a collision is harder to avoid if a driver or passenger unknowingly opens a car door while a rider is lane splitting at high speed. As a motorcyclist, avoid lane splitting completely to protect yourself against related crashes.
Left Turns
One of the leading causes of motorcycle versus vehicle collisions is left-hand turns by cars. In most cases, left-turn accidents are fatal especially when a motorcyclist speeds. Common situations when these accidents occur include when the rider is passing, moving straight, or overtaking another vehicle. Most motorists misjudge the rider’s speed and distance, make a left turn, and cause the accident.
To avoid left-turn accidents, keep your eyes on the road and maintain a safe distance from any car that appears about to take a turn. Also, observe vehicles waiting at an intersection, traffic gaps, and vehicles driving into a parking lot.
Road Conditions
Most riders overlook roadway conditions, unaware they could easily cause a crash. While a motorist might fail even to notice some road conditions, the same elements can cause a major motorcycle crash. These conditions include roadway defects such as potholes, lack of road signs, poorly lit roads, lack of guardrails or dividers, poorly designed intersections, and sand, debris, or loose gravel on the road.
As a rider, always evaluate the road conditions and develop a safe plan to ride in the situation.
While some causes of motorcycle accidents are avoidable, others are beyond riders’ control. If you’re a motorcycle crash victim, work with a reputable attorney to receive maximum compensation. Contact us at Bradley, Drendel & Jeanney for legal guidance and representation in your motorcycle accident claim.