Motorcycle Accidents - Save Yourself

I've been harping on safe riding for years. I even wrote 10 Ways To Be Safe on a Motorcycle. Please read my article and pass it on to your friends, even those who don't ride. We need to save a few lives and it all starts with you.

I see several motorcycle fatalities every day through my Google Alerts. Here's a representative article I just read. It will break your heart.

Reading a newspaper account of an accident like this always leaves the reader with questions about just what were the conditions under which the accident occurred. We've all heard reports that the driver didn't see the bike at all. Well, there are conditions where the sun is in your eyes and blocks out the rider. Or, some part of the structure of the car blocks your vision. I know this happens. I have to move forward, back, and side-to-side sometimes to be sure I can see the complete roadway when I'm waiting to turn in my car. And the small profile of a motorcycle coming at you is hard to see even under good conditions. Of course, these days, the possibility of the driver having a cell phone in their ear doesn't help at all.

I don't want to leave the motorcycle rider out here. We, as riders, don't always look out for ourselves. We know that we need to consider ourselves invisible to other drivers (and motorcyclists). That means always riding with space around us and constantly practicing defensive riding. Anticipate what a driver will do and allow space in case they do what you expect.

In the case of trying to prepare for a left-turner in front of you, always make sure you don't ride close to the car in front of you. A left-turner will see the car in front of you but you may be blocked from their view. The left-turner sees the car in front of you pass and makes a sudden left turn and you smash into them.

I heard of another accident where a car waiting to make a left turn did nothing wrong except they had their wheels turned left anticipating the turn when a vehicle behind them crashed into them and forced their car into the oncoming lane killing a motorcyclist. Folks, I thought everyone knew that you never turn your wheels at rest while waiting to turn. Always keep them straight ahead. If you're hit, you won't go into the oncoming lane.

I guess one could go on and on about left-turners and how to prevent motorcycle fatalities. However, I know these accidents will keep happening. But we all can prevent a few from happening. Reading my 10 Ways To Be Safe on a Motorcycle will help to put a few ideas in your head that may save your life. And really, all I'm trying to do is save you and keep you riding and riding and riding until the day you choose to stop riding. Hopefully, that day will never come.

If you have any comments on how to be safe on a motorcycle, leave them below.

The Statistics on Motorcycle Accidents

By their nature, motorcycles are dangerous. They don't have the crumple zones, bumpers, airbags, or seatbelts of cars. It's just you, perched on the top of a slender piece of steel and engine and rubber. Motorcycles usually weight around 500 pounds, while automobiles usually weight around 3,000 pounds or more; SUVs can weight well over 4,000 pounds. So when you consider the possibility of an accident between 500 pounds of motorcycle and 3,500 pounds of car, it's pretty obvious who will come out of that one the winner.

The statistics on motorcycle accidents are correspondingly sobering. In 2007, while fatalities in motor vehicle accidents declined by 3.9% compared to 2006, fatalities for specifically motorcyclists actually increased by 6.6%. There were 4,837 motorcycle fatalities in 2006, and 5,154 in 2007. Motorcycle fatalities accounted for 13% of the total road fatalities in 2007, up from 11% in 2006. And while accidents increased across the board, the most likely to be involved in a fatal accident are still motorcyclists aged 20-29. Additionally, about one fourth of the people in fatal motorcycle accidents had an invalid license. These facts illustrate the steep learning curve that attends riding motorcycles.

Because of the inherent dangers of riding a motorcycle, as well as the proportionally high number of fatal accidents experienced by motorcycle riders, the onus is often on the motorcyclist to be especially careful when riding, to be the most safety-conscious. With this in mind, a brief safety refresher is in order:

* Make sure you legally obtain your Class M license before you hit the road. Getting this license will involve a good amount of safety training which can better prepare you to handle the conditions of the road.
* Make sure you wear the appropriate clothing. Because of the frequency of motorcycle accidents, it's important that you plan ahead when choosing clothing. Leather is best, as it will act as skin should you get in an accident. There are also a number of synthetic products on the market. Wool and cotton cloth offer less protection, as they rip and thread.
* Keep your bike in good road condition. One of the biggest factors in preventing accidents is keeping your machine in safe condition. That means making sure the brakes are working, the tires have threading, the electrical systems work, and the engine and transmission are functional.

For more information about the legal aspects of motorcycle accidents, visit iowa-personalinjurylawyer.com.

Joseph Devine

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