Now that we have warmer weather, motorcyclists are taking to the streets. For the next few months, or until the snowflakes start to fall, motorcyclists will have the opportunity to enjoy the great natural beauty of this area. With the increase in motorcycle traffic comes the risk of motorcyclists being injured in accidents. Some people might mistakenly think that the motorcyclists are always to blame for these accidents; however, statistics show that thought is a misconception.
First, let’s consider how much more likely motorcyclists are to be injured or killed in an accident than someone in another motor vehicle. Motorcyclists are five times more likely to be injured and 26 times more likely to die in a crash than a person in a passenger vehicle.
Interestingly, motorcyclists aren’t very likely to be the driver who caused the accident. In two-thirds of motor vehicle accidents that involve a motorcycle and another vehicle, the driver of the other vehicle is at fault. This is usually because the other vehicle’s driver doesn’t give the motorcycle the right of way when it belonged to the motorcycle.
There are a host of reasons why other drivers might crash into motorcycles. The other drivers might not be paying close attention. Motorcycles are hard to see because they are considerably smaller than other vehicles. This makes it easy for them to be hidden behind other objects.
Motorcyclists who are injured in a crash that was another motorist’s fault can opt to seek compensation for the injuries they suffered. This is done in the civil court system and can be filed whether the other driver faces criminal charges in connection with the accident or not.
Source: FindLaw, “Motorcycle Accidents: Overview,” accessed July 15, 2016
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