Scooter drivers beware with a summer of record-high gas prices and the pending tourism season, more little motorized bikes and motorcycles on the road increases the danger of scooter and motorcycle accidents.
Tourists in cities across Southwest Florida – including Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel Island, Cape Coral, Naples, Port Charlotte, Sebring and Venice – will be taking to the road on rented scooters and motorcycles where they will join new riders prompted by skyrocketing gas prices.
“If in a car, that victim likely walks away,” said John Moore of the Denver Post in a recent Naples Daily News article of the prospect of being rear-ended on a scooter. “But on a scooter, he dies. It’s a risk every scooterist assumes.”
Scooter sales are up more than 24-percent in 2008, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council.
“The beautiful state of Florida offers many free and exhilarating riding opportunities,” said Bruce L. Scheiner, founder and senior attorney of Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Personal Injury Lawyers, which has been representing Southwest Florida motorcycle accident victims for four decades. “But remember, whatever you ride, ride safe!”
Authorities say scooters can be particularly dangerous in part because often inexperienced riders have a tendency to treat them as toys and can lack the proper rider training.
By law, scooters over 50cc are considered motorcycles and require a motorcycle endorsement and a rider-safety course. Directions on obtaining a motorcycle license and attending a rider-safety course can be found on our sister site, www.flbikers.com, a website dedicated to Southwest Florida motorcyclists and their safety.
The Naples article contained some standard safety tips for all riders:
– Never drive parallel to a moving car. Hang back in a catty-corner position in the next lane, so that if he jerks over into your lane, he’s not jerking into you.
– If you are on a two-lane road, favor the side away from oncoming traffic, giving yourself added reaction time in the event of an emergency.
– Always position yourself so that the driver in front of you has a clear view of you from his side mirrors.
If you or someone you love is injured or killed on a motorcycle or scooter, there are certain things you can do to help protect your rights. The attorneys at Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Personal Injury Lawyers, have been fighting for the rights of accident victims for four decades and can be contacted for a free appointment to discuss your rights through any of the firm’s Southwest Florida offices in Cape Coral, Naples, Fort Myers, Arcadia, Venice, Sebring and Port Charlotte.