The gulf coast of Florida is a beautiful area for riding a motorcycle, attracting motorcycle riders from all over to cruise its road surface. But many riders are unaware of how many motorcycle accidents occur in this area. In 2017, Pinellas County ranked 5th highest in the state for motorcycle fatalities.
Compared to auto accidents, the data shows more motorcyclists are killed in an accident on a weekday rather than a weekend. However, fatal accidents take place during rush hour traffic in both cases. These are the types of motorcycle accidents that tend to occur.
Left Turn- When a vehicle is at an intersection they are usually unaware of you and sometimes you miss them as well. So, when they make a left-hand turn you end up colliding.
Driving Too Fast- Going too fast for conditions has been known to increase crash risk for motorcyclists and vehicles alike. This is due to an increase in an inability to break, which can lead to collision.
Frontal Collisions- Highway traffic is where these head on collisions happen the most. These types of accidents can result in some of the most severe damage for riders and their bikes yet are the most common.
Object Collisions- These tend to happen when a motorcyclist tries to avoid an auto accident with motor vehicles and hits a nearby object instead.
Drunk Driving- Driving under the influence made up for 33% of both motorcyclist and driver fatalities in 2017. Drunk drivers in a vehicle are more likely to die than their passengers in an accident but motorcycle passengers are not granted the same.
Learning how to ride a motorcycle properly will benefit you the most like knowing when to release the clutch and how to read oncoming traffic. Riders need to be aware of everything that is and isn’t happening on the road as much as possible. If something is missed they must also need to know how to react quickly and appropriately. When faced with the possibility of a crash taking place, reducing speed will always be the best course of action.
If you’re riding faster than you can see, you’re bound to hit something. Doing this around corners is especially dangerous and if this happens it’s best bet to ride it out. Break slowly and learn how to reduce your speed without your brakes locking up to avoid accidents like this. It’s also good to keep the bike straight and upright, laying the bike down rarely ends well.
Wear your helmet, always. Having properly fitted headwear can be the very thing that not only keeps you from death in an accident, but an accident altogether. If your helmet doesn’t fit right it may block important parts of your vision and you will crash. If your helmet doesn’t meet motorcycle helmet safety standards, then it won’t help you when you need it most.
Having a blood alcohol concentration BAC level that is too high has proven to be a major culprit in alcohol related crashes. The largest study ever done on motorcycle accidents shows that alcohol is involved in at least half of all bike wrecks. So it’s best to avoid drinking and riding altogether, as it would for a motor vehicle too.
If you or someone you know is involved in a motorcycle accident then calling a law office that handles motorcycle accident cases will help you the most. Motorcycle accident attorneys will fight against insurance companies for you to ease your pain and suffering. Teresa Williams P.A. is an accident lawyer with motorcycle accident lawyer experience who has your best interests in mind. Call now for a free consultation.
