seven-predominant-causes-of-motorcycle-accidents

The world of an accident attorney can be relatively isolating as many attorneys view your relationship as that of a competitor as opposed to a colleague. Through mutual colleagues, I was recently introduced to Chicago motorcycle accident attorney Jonathan Rosenfeld. Jonathan is a great guy and and tremendous advocate for the rights of motorcyclists. While we could have spent a good amount of time talking about barbecue, our conversation quickly turned to the major sources of motorcycle accidents in our respective cities.

Hopefully motorcyclists can learn a thing or two from my conversation with Jonathan when it comes to understanding the primary causes of serious motorcycle accidents.

  1. 1. Careless maneuvering by other drivers on the road: Four-wheeled vehicles tend to cause more motorcycle accidents than others given their propensity to make abrupt swerves that eventually cause a head-on collision or a fall often resulting in fatalities. Motorcyclists are forced off their bikes resulting in severe injuries to the arm, neck and face areas. 42% of motorcycle accidents (see http://www.chicagomotorcycleinjurylawyers.com) occur during a fast overtake or during a left turn maneuver by a car.
  2. Loss of control of bike: Many motorcyclists have been victims of accidents because of their inability to control their motorcycles thereby leading to a skid or fall. In a motorcycle crash of this nature, the rider’s arms or legs often tend to get enmeshed beneath his machine resulting in serious lacerations or fractures.
  3. Sudden stops trigger motorcycle accidents: Sudden stops were cited as a much more probable reason for motorcycle accidents than speeding. In fact, statistics indicated that as many as 70% of motorcycle accidents occurred when the motorcyclist was cruising at speeds less than 30 miles per hour. Considering the fact that the sudden switch in momentum makes the rider fly over the bike and sustain serious injuries, motorcyclists might want to consider slowing down first rather than coming to a sudden stop.
  4. Riders whom may be too old for their own good: Statistics reveal that middle-aged riders in the US were discovered to be more prone to accidents. But the DOT suggests that age perhaps is a redundant factor when it comes to accidents and the causes have a deeper connection to rashness and aggression while riding rather than the age of the rider.
  5. Concealed objects hidden from the line of vision: The blinding glare of sunlight or low visibility during rains or snow can render solid objects nearly invisible until the rider is too close to avert an accident. The play of light also renders dark-clothed motorcycle riders more likely to get hit by cars than riders who wore dark clothes. Invisibility in dense traffic has been cited as the predominant cause for the occurrence of motorcycle accidents.
  6. Lane-splitting: Motorcycles are said to split lanes when they typically ride between long columns of cars stacked up on either side during a traffic jam. The close proximity of the motorcycles to the cars as well as the lack of space to perform any maneuvers invariably increases the chances of a motorcycle accident.
  7. Dangerous road conditions: Motorcyclists are more vulnerable to accidents caused by unexpected hazards like slippery roads, road obstructions and uneven road surfaces given the smaller size and unstable design of motorcycles as compared to cars. Common hazards such as gravel, slick road surfaces and open bridge joints often result in compromised road safety for motorcyclists.