Avoiding an accident with a motorcycle means more than going the speed limit and checking your mirrors.
Many people assume that all bikers drive dangerously, that they take undue risks and make sudden moves in traffic, and that this leaves them at a higher risk of being hit. However, many times it's the drivers around them who make poor choices. Too often our Virginia motorcycle accident lawyers speak with bikers who have been seriously hurt when a car made a left hand turn in front of them.
Most of the time the driver who hit the motorcycle states that they "never saw the motorcycle." This has less to do with the biker’s behavior and more to do with the driver not taking the time to scan the road for motorcycles.
Smaller Profile = More Likely to Be Hit
Drivers are used to looking for other cars and trucks. Because of this, and because of a motorcycles smaller profile, it is too easy for the car-centric brain to not really see the motorcycle in traffic.
To combat this effect, it is crucial that drivers not only look twice before making their move, but specifically look twice for motorcycles. As a driver, you should be extra aware of bikers, noting them as you drive and scanning the road for them as you change lanes and make turns.
Do some motorcyclist make bad choices, and thereby cause accidents? Of course. But very often it's the drivers around them that cause serious crashes that take a life or seriously injure the biker.
At our Virginia personal injury law firm we know that knowledge is power. Please share your knowledge of this subject with other drivers. Make yourself more aware of your surroundings, of motorcycles, each and every time you drive. Together, we can work together to save lives.