Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month 2014

Pursuant to a 2012 study by the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration, “per vehicle mile traveled, motorcyclists were over 30 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die in a traffic crash.” The states with the highest fatalities were Texas (441), Florida (426) and California (386).

As such, the motorcycle accident lawyers at Kass & Moses want to join our friends at the NHTSA by saying “Share the road!” There’s enough room for drivers of all vehicles.

May 2014 is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month 2014. To celebrate, your motorcycle accident lawyers decided to compile a list of the top things drivers of automobiles can do to avoid injuring a motorcyclist.

These include:

1. Put your phone down! It can wait!
2. Look twice – motorcycles can be difficult to see. Before you change lanes, look again
3. Motorcyclists have the same rights on the roadway as any other motorist
4. Check your blind spot – motorcyclists have a smaller profile than a car. Check your blind spot before you act
5. Back off! Give motorcyclists room to maneuver. Unlike automobiles, motorcyclists are at the mercy of road conditions including potholes, slippery roads and railroad crossings. As such, motorcyclists may need room and time to react

There are also some basic suggestions for motorcyclists too that can help keep them safe:

1. Have enough uninsured and underinsured motorist insurance – you cannot control how much insurance the guy who hits you has, but you can control how much insurance you have
2. Wear a helmet – we know you don’t like to, but in our experience it has been the difference between minor and major injuries on many occasions
3. Don’t drink and drive – riders who are even slightly inebriated have a much higher chance of being involved in an accident
4. Take a training course – even experienced riders can benefit from taking a training course from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation or your local motorcycle dealership

Call the motorcycle accident lawyers at Kass & Moses if you have any questions about Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month 2014, or what you can do to have a safe motorcycle riding season.