How To Avoid An Accident On Your Motorcycle

Studies show that motor accidents usually occur between motorists and motorcycles. The majority of the time, another vehicle will collide with the motorcyclist from the front, while the collision occurs from the back of the motorcyclist only 5% of the time. Front-on collisions are often fatal to the motorcyclist.

Due to their size and speed, motorcycles are obviously much harder to see than cars. A few of the most common causes of motorcycle accidents are:

• Poor weather conditions.
• Automobile drivers and motorcyclists that ignore traffic signs.
• Automobile drivers and motorcyclists that are exceeding the speed limit.
• Automobile drivers that fail to use turn signals (commonly called trafficators)
• Automobile drivers that back out without looking properly behind them
• Inexperienced automobile drivers and motorcyclists.
• Defects that are in the road.
• Sub-standard automobiles and motorcycles.
• Intentional hostile actions by automobile drivers and motorcycle drivers
• Automobile drivers that make turns without gauging the speed of an oncoming motorcycle

1. Watch out for reversing drivers

Drivers are naturally conditioned to look out for other vehicles but can often miss the smaller oncoming motorcycles, even while looking in their rear view mirrors. Drivers backing out of driveways or parking lots can also fail to notice motorcycle riders, bicycle riders or even ordinary pedestrians if they are in their blind spot. Be mindful of drivers heading out of their driveways or smaller roads.

2. Check for turning vehicles

Looking at it from the other perspective, motorcycle riders have to be much more sensitive to their surroundings and are not as susceptible to some typical motorist distractions such as cell phones and radios, although they are prone to other distractions including discussions with passengers, greetings with familiar motorcyclists or even reactions to altercations with motorists. The most dangerous situations for motorcyclists, however, are cars making left-hand turns. Collisions of this nature will usually account for a significant percentage of motorcycle and automobile accidents. Cars and trucks can strike motorcycles when travelling through intersections, sharp turns or attempting to overtake cars.

3. Avoid angry drivers

In some cases, drivers are annoyed at having to share roads with motorcyclists. Many of those who use motorcycles as their preferred mode of transportation are as distant from the tough biker-gang member stereotype as they could be. They are usually educated professionals, such as doctors or lawyers, or students who seek to lessen their impact on the environment and are hoping to save a little bit of extra cash by not spending too much on their gas. However, they can still be viewed as risk-takers on the road by other drivers. While this is often untrue, it is also important to try to avoid the common mistakes that some motorcyclists do make on the road.

Some drivers may react in fear or exhibit aggressive behavior toward a motorcyclist because of the biker stereotype. These interactions, whether aggressive or not, could eventually lead to accidents. So, aim to avoid these negative interactions and make sure you always follow the driving rules.

4. Stay protected

Due to a number of factors (such as size of the vehicle, lack of protection, etc), automobile/motorcycle accidents are more likely to result in serious fatalities or injuries to the motorcyclist. Almost 35 times more deaths occur from motorcycle accidents than car accidents because the motorcyclist doesn’t have a steel framework around them to take some the impact of a collision. Therefore, the motorcyclist is especially vulnerable when a large metal object, such as a car or a bus for example, hits them. Head injuries, spinal cord injuries, broken bones and internal injuries usually occur as a result. Stay safe by wearing protective gear and keeping vigilant.

5. Why You Really Need a Great Personal Injury Lawyer

Defendants will usually try to use the biker stereotypes to their advantage—this means a motorcycle rider who has been injured in an accident must take care to seek the most knowledgeable personal injury attorney to look out for their best interests. The attorney who has significant experience defending motorcyclists injured by an automobile understands how to get around these unfortunate stigmas, obtaining an equitable settlement.

Amotorcycle accident attorney’s job will be to accurately assess the liability in your case and he or she will use every means available to prove responsibility. Don’t try to handle a motorcycle accident on your own; there are a variety of complexities you may encounter which you are ill-equipped to handle. An experienced motorcycle accident attorney stands a much better chance of recovering medical expenses and lost wages on your behalf and may even be able to secure damages for your pain and suffering as well as diminished quality of life.

The post How To Avoid An Accident On Your Motorcycle appeared first on Lifehack.

Source: Lifehack.org