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Texans love their motorcycles for various reasons. Texas has a great history, good roads, and attractive sites. Unfortunately, having fun with your bike is statistically dangerous. Motorcycle accident statistics show that 5,014 motorcyclists died in 2019. A motorcycle crash also leads to severe injuries and property damage. Fortunately, a Texas motorcycle accident lawyer can get you compensation.
Texas is a fault accident state. So, the fault party will bear the consequences of the crash. However, motorcyclists need to learn some safety tips. These tips can help them avoid motorcycle collisions. Suppose a motorcycle crash eventually occurs. Then, these safety tips can reduce motorcycle accident injuries.
Motorcycle crashes are any collisions involving a motorcycle. The accident could involve:
Notably, different factors cause motorcycle crashes. Some of them include:
Motorcycles are pretty complex machines. Furthermore, different bikes require unique modes of handling them. Therefore, an inexperienced biker faces a high chance of collisions. That’s why it’s best to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for handling motorcycles. In addition, a motorcyclist should start in controlled environments. When they master the bike, they can then move to the highways.
Bikers and passenger vehicle drivers aren’t the only causes of crashes. Instead, an accident can result from defective motorcycle parts. This happens when the manufacturer makes errors during manufacturing. Such mistakes can then make the bikes malfunction. If this happens, the victims can sue the negligent manufacturer.
Bad roads can cause any kind of accident. Hazardous road conditions include:
Notably, a pothole poses more danger to a motorcycle than passenger cars. This is because the vehicle has more balance than bikes.
Many other factors are responsible for motorcycle collisions. They include:
The good news about motorcycle accidents is that they’re preventable. Indeed, it is impossible to eliminate the presence of motorcycles on American roads. However, all road users can minimize traffic accidents involving motorcycle riders. For example, drivers of passenger vehicles can take the following steps to protect motorcycle drivers:
Blind spots are areas drivers cannot see while driving. All vehicle types have these blind spots. In addition, blind spots differ amongst all cars. Motorcycles are smaller than regular vehicles. So, it’s often harder for drivers to see them.
In fact, 15% of large truck fatalities in 2019 involved motorcyclists and smaller vehicles. It’s thus best to always check your blind spots while driving. This way, you can minimize the risks for motorcycle riders.
Vehicle drivers cannot bear the entire responsibility for motorcycle safety. Instead, their passengers can help them in some scenarios. For example, they can point out the presence of motorcycles to the driver.
In addition, passengers have different vision ranges. So, they can see things drivers won’t notice. First, however, such drivers must explain how help is crucial to avoid deadly motorcycle crashes.
Motorcycles emit rather loud noises. These sounds warn other vehicles of the presence of a motorcycle. However, loud noises within a car can block out motorcycle sounds. Therefore, imbibing safe behaviors includes controlling a car’s internal sounds. This would involve:
Finally, it’s noteworthy that motorcyclists have a greater responsibility for their safety. The safety tips below can prevent motorcycle crashes.
The majority of motorcycle accidents with deaths occurred from 3 pm to 6 pm on weekdays. Similarly, the most fatal motorcycle accidents happened on weekends from 6 pm to 9 pm. So, there’s a high risk of collisions with motorcycles within these timeframes.
An experienced rider will thus be more careful during these periods. Finally, driving at night raises visibility issues. So, bikers should wear reflective material or bright colors while riding late.
34% of motorcycle deaths were due to driving under the influence of alcohol. Generally, intoxicated driving is a dangerous attitude. This is because it affects the rider’s reflexes. So, they have less time to react to situations. A motorcyclist will thus be safer by avoiding alcohol before riding out.
Motorcycles can move fast. That’s one of the reasons people love bikes. Unfortunately, high-speed motorcycle accidents are pretty frequent. Texas roads sometimes have speed limits, though.
Furthermore, the government made these rules to protect everyone. Therefore, disregarding these rules increases the chances of high-speed motorcycle accidents. So it’s best for riders to control their speed on highways and other roads.
Motorcycles don’t have the protective covering vehicles have. Therefore, a cyclist may be thrown off a bike during a crash. Landing on the hard road can lead to brain injuries. Therefore, many motorcyclists use protective gear. Statistics show that wearing a motorcycle helmet saved 1,872 lives in 2017.
Helmet use also saved $3.5 billion in economic costs. Indeed, wearing helmets cannot prevent motorcycle crashes. However, they can reduce the severity of motorcycle accident injuries. Therefore, it’ll be best if all bikers wear protective gear while driving.
All the preventive tips above cannot eliminate motorcycle accidents. Therefore, knowing what to do after a crash is vital. So, suppose you’ve been in a Texas motorcycle accident. Then, you can file a compensation claim. First, however, you’ll need an excellent motorcycle accident lawyer in Houston.
You can also initiate legal action for a loved one’s death. Our law firm has won millions of dollars for our clients. Therefore, our attorneys will fight to get you the maximum compensation you deserve. Contact Calhoun Meredith today for a FREE consultation.