The National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA), highlights a few core causes of motorcycle accidents, revolving around the negligence of another driver. Too often, a driver who hits a motorcyclist will say that they did not see the motorcycle.
Failure to watch for motorcycles can happen when a driver:
- Fails to adjust their mirrors: most of the area surrounding a vehicle contains blind spots, in which motorcycles are even more concealed, making mirror adjustment crucial for safety;
- Ignores the motorcycle operator’s right of way: turning left in front of a motorcycle often results in tragic crashes;
- Neglects to properly judge the distance and speed of an approaching motorcycle before entering a roadway.
These are just a few examples of driver negligence that can forever change the life of a motorcyclist.
Drivers may also cause motorcycle accidents by engaging in the following types of especially reckless behaviors behind the wheel:
- Driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol: Despite the known dangers of drunk or drugged driving, drivers continue to take risks along Charleston streets and highways. The South Carolina Department of Public Safety reports that nearly half of all fatal accidents in South Carolina involve an impaired driver.
- Driving distracted: The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) identifies three main forms of distraction: visual, manual, and cognitive. Drivers who take their eyes off the road, their hands off the wheel, or their minds off driving place motorcyclists at risk for serious harm. Motorcyclists can be hard to notice, even motorists with their full attention on the road.
- Aggressive driving: Purposely tailgating, speeding, or cutting off a motorcyclist in traffic are examples of aggressive driving. This dangerous form of driving can develop into road rage, placing motorcyclists in extreme danger for serious injuries.
- Drowsy driving: Failure of a motorist to rest or driving with an undiagnosed sleep disorder can lead to accidents caused by drowsy driving. The Sleep Foundation notes the similarity of the effects of drowsy driving to the impairments caused by drunk driving.
Charleston residents and visitors must always drive carefully and obey traffic laws. If the driver responsible for your motorcycle accident acted negligently or broke traffic laws and got into a wreck with a motorcycle, they may face liability.
A motorcycle provides almost no protection in a truck or car collision. The gear you wear and how defensively you operate your bike can only do so much to protect you in a traumatic crash. If you’ve done all you can to avoid a crash, and are nonetheless injured due to another motorist’s wrongdoing, you deserve to recover compensation for your injuries.