The safety of motorcycle riders is often in the hands of other motorists.
Blaming riders — assuming most injured riders were acting in a reckless or unsafe manner — only assures that you are at increased risk of causing a serious or fatal accident.
The statistics speak plain truth and have for decades: Most motorcycle accidents that involve another vehicle are the fault of the vehicle’s driver.
Liability for Serious and Fatal Motorcycle Accidents
May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. Authorities and riders want you to get the message: Every vehicle driver on the road very likely has the power to avoid ever being involved in a collision with a motorcycle. Visit our Florida Injury Lawyer Blog for other posts about spring motorcycle safety in SWFL.
The stakes in Florida are high. Florida remains the most dangerous state in the nation for riders. Florida motorcycle accidents claimed 555 lives in 2016.
Riders understand the risks. Most ride responsibly and respect the dangers. A motorist can most often completely avoid the risk of an accident simply by allowing the rider to pass.
The motorcycle accident attorneys at Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner have a reputation for advocacy throughout the riding community. We have spent more than 45 years pursuing justice for injured riders, and promoting safety and family-friendly motorcycle events throughout Southwest Florida. We also have represented thousands of victims injured in all other types of motor-vehicle collisions.
It is the inherent vulnerability of motorcycle riders that makes accident prevention so critical. Riders are at particularly high risk of serious or fatal injury whenever a collision occurs. Even at low speeds. Even in parking lots or after being bumped or swiped in a low-speed intersection accident.
Safety advocates continue to push messages like “Share the Road,” and “Look Twice, Save a Life,” with the hope that more motorists will stop and think about the consequences of causing an accident whenever a motorcycle is approaching.
Motorist Tips for Avoiding Motorcycle Accidents
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles provides motorcycle accident avoidance tips for motorists, including:
- Never attempt to share a lane. Riders are entitled to their own lane at all times.
- Always look carefully before entering an intersection or changing lanes.
- Don’t follow a motorcycle too closely. Rear-end collisions are a leading cause of serious and fatal accidents and are almost always blamed on the vehicle’s driver.
- Allow a rider plenty of space when attempting to pass. Do not increase your speed when being passed by a motorcycle.
- Allow at least 4-seconds space between your vehicle and a motorcycle.
- Understand riders may be closer and traveling faster than they appear.
Allowing an oncoming rider to pass is typically the best course of action. Taking a few extra seconds, even if you believe a rider is not owed the right of way, is well worthwhile when it comes to avoiding a serious or fatal accident.
If you or a loved one is injured, call Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Attorneys for the Injured, at 1-800-646-1210.