May is Motorcycle Safety Month - Promote Awareness of Motorcycle Safety and Top Reasons for Motorcycle Accidents
Its springtime and in Missouri and Illinois motorcycles are everywhere, many states across the country use May as motorcycle safety awareness month in an effort to reduce the number of Missouri motorcycle accidents and motorcycle accidents in Illinois and across the country.
Scary fact is that there is about an 80% chance of serious personal injury whenever a motorcyclist is involved in a car crash. When the motorcycle crash involves another vehicle the likelihood of severe injury or death is 29 times higher for the motorcyclists than the driver of a car or truck. Being a personal injury lawyer handling motorcycle injury cases in St Louis Missouri and across Missouri and Illinois, I can attest that in my experience this is true. A very small percentage of Missouri motorcycle injury cases I have reviewed as a personal injury lawyer are the result of motorcycle operator error. In fact, only one motorcycle injury case I have seen was likely motorcycle operator error.
As a Missouri motorcycle injury lawyer and an Illinois motorcycle injury lawyer I can tell you that most accidents and injuries occur at intersections. Most common type of motorcycle injury case that I handle involves a motorcyclist driving through an intersection and a vehicle approaching the opposite direction makes a left turn on green and fails to yield to the cyclist.
I recommend to all bikers to flash their headlights as they approach an intersection, this will increase the chances that a negligent driver will see you.
9 times out of 10 a collision between a car or truck and a motorcycle is the result of the car or truck drivers carelessness. If you are a motorcyclist that end up in an accident with a car (I have personally been in 2 motorcycle accidents) contact me to discuss your case, I have a unique understanding as a Missouri and Illinois personal injury lawyer, and motorcyclist, and an injury lawyer motorcyclist that has been injured as a result of careless drivers.
Several tips for drivers to help keep motorcyclists safe on our roadways:
Remember the motorcycle is a vehicle with all of the rights and privileges of any other motor vehicle on the roadway. Always allow a motorcyclist the full lane width—never try to share a lane;
Always make a visual check for motorcycles by checking mirrors and blind spots before entering or leaving a lane of traffic and at intersections;
Always signal your intentions before changing lanes or merging with traffic;
Don’t be fooled by a flashing turn signal on a motorcycle – motorcycle signals are often not self-canceling and riders sometimes forget to turn them off. Wait to be sure the motorcycle is going to turn before you proceed;
Remember that road conditions which are minor annoyances to passenger vehicles pose major hazards to motorcyclists;
Allow more following distance, three or four seconds, when following a motorcycle, so the motorcyclist has enough time to maneuver or stop in an emergency. And don’t tailgate. In dry conditions, motorcycles can stop more quickly than cars.
