With the change of season and improvement in weather, there are a likelihood of more motorcycles on Seattle streets and highways. It may be easy for some motorists to forget when driving that there may be smaller vehicles such as motorcycles sharing the road. Motorcycles may be missed in the blind spots or hidden from view from other larger vehicles such as SUV’s. This can be a disastrous situation for motorcyclists who are especially susceptible to serious injury in a motorcycle accident.
Motorcycle accidents are more often fatal than motor vehicle accidents. This may be the case because of the lack of awareness. Distracted driving on the part of other motorists may also play a significant risk in the rise in fatalities for motorcyclists. Due to the alarming rate of injury and fatalities for motorcyclists, it’s especially important that drivers take precautions to keep the highways safe. Each motorist has a duty of care to other motorists and motorcyclists deserve the same privileges as all other vehicles on the road.
The roads can be very dangerous for motorcyclists. Even simple accidents can result in serious injury to both the driver and passenger. Often collisions can result in fatal motorcycle accidents, particularly for motorcyclists. In fact, over 4,000 people perish in motorcycle accidents each year. Some actions that may help keep motorcyclists safe may include, giving motorcyclists a full traffic lane, always checking blind spots, using turn signals, proceeding with caution when a motorcycle uses a turn signal and allowing additional distance when behind a motorcycle.
Being aware of motorcycles can be an important first step in preventing fatal motorcycle accidents. Despite attempts to create safe conditions, some drivers do act carelessly putting motorcyclists at risk. A person injured in a motorcycle accident due to the negligence of another motorist may be eligible for compensation.
Source: McPherson Sentinel, “Share the road with motorcyclists,” Jana McKinney, May 1, 2013