With spring comes warmer temperatures in the St. Louis area, and this means more commuters will choose to ride their motorcycle during their daily drive to and from work. However, as statistics show, not all accidents can be prevented, especially if motorists do not take care to drive safely around smaller vehicles such as motorcycles.
What causes motorcycle accidents?
In 2017 over 5,000 motorcycle riders and passengers lost their lives in motor vehicle accidents. This is twice as many deaths as took place 10 years earlier in 1997. In fact, in 2017 14% of all traffic deaths involved a person riding a motorcycle.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, when a motor vehicle and motorcyclist collide, it is often the case that the motorist violated the right-of-way of the person on the motorcycle. Motorists often don’t see motorcyclists in their vicinity or if they do, do not anticipate what the motorcyclist is going to do. Distracted driving is also a factor in many collisions between motorists and motorcyclists.
Why are motorcyclists at a disadvantage in a collision?
Automobiles are at a significant advantage when it comes to collisions with a motorcycle. After all a standard of automobile is much larger and heavier than a motorcycle, and therefore has sheer physics on its side when it collides with a motorcycle. Moreover, occupants of automobiles have safety features such as seat belts, air bags and crumple zones that are lacking in motorcycles.
A motorcycle accident can turn an ordinary commute into a nightmare for the motorcyclist. Motorcyclists injured in crashes caused by motorists may feel overwhelmed by the impact the accident has not just on their health but also on their finances. Fortunately, attorneys in the St. Louis area understand that their clients’ immediate goals are to recover from the accident. They work to ensure that their clients do not suffer needlessly. Ultimately, those involved in motorcycle accidents deserve to have the legal and emotional support they need to move forward on the right foot.
