Cruising on your bike feels good. Accidents don’t. Thankfully, motorcycle accidents have steadily decreased in recent years, but motorcyclists still overrepresent traffic fatalities.
Bike riders are 28 times more likely to die than car passengers from a wreck. Armed with the right knowledge, you can significantly reduce your chances of accident involvement. Keep reading to learn about the most common types of motorcycle accidents and how to avoid them.
Alcohol-related accidents
Unfortunately, intoxication accounts for a large percentage of motorcycle accidents. Drunk driving accidents are more likely to end in death or serious injury, oftentimes for the bike rider.
From 2015 to 2016, 25 percent of motorcyclists involved in a fatal collision had a blood alcohol level at or above 0.08 percent. In 2016, 37 percent of riders who died in single-vehicle wrecks were intoxicated. These numbers make motorcycles the most common vehicle type involved in deadly alcohol-related crashes.
How to avoid alcohol-related accidents
By nature, bike riding is social. Motorcyclists often go to local spots and restaurants to hang out with friends. Limit yourself to one beer per venue and stop drinking after three beverages. Doesn’t sound like your type of night on the town? Uber and Lyft are incredible ways to get home at an affordable cost. Ride with everyone to the location, leave your bike, and use the rideshare apps to get home without incurring danger to yourself and others.
Accidents caused by lane splitting
Lane splitting happens when a motorcycle drives between two lanes of slow moving or stopped traffic. A common cause of biking accidents, lane splitting accidents happens often because of several factors:
- Less space for the motorcycle to maneuver.
- The short distance between the cars and the motorcycle.
- Car drivers aren’t expecting another vehicle to pass them in slow or stopped traffic.
How to avoid lane-splitting wrecks
Lane splitting legality depends on your state laws. In New Mexico, it is illegal because it’s unnecessary and dangerous. The motorcycle driver is held responsible in states where lane splitting is not permissible. If you do decide to split lanes, make sure there’s enough room for you to drive through without hitting a vehicle or its side-view mirror.
Accidents caused by high-speeds
Riders often invest in products from brands like Fox Racing to protect themselves on the road. Speed and cost-effectiveness are two popular reasons people buy motorcycles. However, speeding accounted for 33 percent of motorcycle deaths in 2014.
Lightweight and some capable of reaching speeds over 160 mph, high-performance motorcycles are a small percentage of the overall number of bikes on the road but represent a disproportionate number of accidents. Most sports bike riders are under the age of 30, which increases the danger because young people are statistically less safe drivers.
How to avoid high-speed accidents
Follow the speed limit. Motorcycles still offer a thrill even if you follow the legal speed limit. Locate interesting places like roads with more turns and elevation shifts to increase the excitement. If you feel the need to speed, find a venue that conducts legal drag racing. Also, use the internet to locate parks that allow drivers to safely speed on a closed course.
Motorcycle drivers are more vulnerable to collisions than other vehicle types, so safety is imperative. Use your best judgment on the road to reduce the likelihood of a fatal wreck. If you are injured in a motorcycle accident, schedule a consultation with a personal injury lawyer like the professionals at the Davis Kelin Law Firm.
From the start, a local attorney can inform you whether or not you have a valid case on your hands — long before you spend the time and money pursuing legal action. Not only so, but given their vast experience, they can speed up the compensation process tremendously.
Be sure to bring any and all evidence you have to your scheduled consultation. This can include police reports, hospital records, and any pictures you or onlookers took of the scene.
Hopefully, with the tips provided, you can enjoy a safe ride each time you crank your engine and drive.
