Motorcycles are unique vehicles. Nothing else can approximate the thrill of riding in the open air. Unfortunately, they are high-risk rides.
There is no question that riding a motorcycle is one of the greatest thrills on planet Earth. It is a super-charged rush to get on the open road and boot it. While you might be a very safe rider, it’s the people in other vehicles that you have to watch out for, because they often just don’t see you, no matter how big your bike happens to be.
In fact, not seeing you is the most commonly cited cause of motorcycle accidents. Unfortunately, it also means that bikers get hit more often than other vehicles and sustain severe injuries and may ultimately lose their lives. Education is a good start to reduce the number of motorcycle crashes on the road. Improving others’ driving skills and alertness would help. The problem is, some drivers just don’t seem to understand that bikers are smaller vehicles of which they need to be aware. Sadly, just about 70 percent of the wrecks involving bikers are due to the negligence of a motorist.
Driving down a country road can also be a high-risk activity for motorcyclists. Country roads are infamous for being poorly maintained. They’re often full of potholes, uneven gravel ridges, debris and other surprises dropped on the road by farm trucks. In an effort to get out of the way of a hazard or swerve around something, a biker sometimes finds himself wiping out. This often results in lower body injuries that may include spinal cord injuries. Traumatic brain injury is another possibility.
Speed is also a factor in crashes – either too fast or too slow – meaning the speed of nearby cars relative to a motorcycle. For instance, a car in front of a biker suddenly stops and because of its speed, the biker can’t stop and rear-ends the car. Or, the biker may be stopped and the car rear-ends the biker. Bikes stop faster than cars and most drivers don’t realize that. Consequently, the faster the speeds of the vehicles involved in a crash, the worst the resulting injuries.
There are numerous other factors that can cause a wreck that are related to the motorcycle itself. Improper maintenance, the use of after-market parts (some of which are taken from bike crashes and recycled), wrong tires on the front or back – the list goes on. The bottom line tends to be that motorcyclists need to be aware of the risks, handle their vehicles to the best of their abilities and keep a sharp eye out for potentially dangerous situations.
Tim Anderson writes for Atlanta Personal Injury attorney, Stephen M. Ozcomert. The firm specializes in personal injury, malpractice, motorcycle accidents, and wrongful death. To learn more about Atlanta personal injury lawyer, Stephen M. Ozcomert, visit Ozcomert.com.