Motorcycle owners appreciate their bikes’ benefits, including the easier parking options and the sheer enjoyment of their travel experience. Still, motorcyclists need to be additionally careful when commuting in Maryland. While motorcycles might be preferable over four-wheel vehicles for these enthusiasts, the powerful bikes lack a car’s protections.
Motorcycle hazards
One safety drawback associated with motorcycles is their size. Since motorcycles are smaller than cars, trucks and SUVs, other drivers might not see them. Accidents might result when a vehicle changes lanes or opens its door while parked. Sometimes, another driver’s actions occur so quickly that a motorcyclist cannot react in time and crashes.
Collision statistics reveal warnings to motorcyclists, and many may not realize that upwards of 5,000 motorcyclists died in crashes in 2018. The figure reflects a death rate 27 times more common than fatalities suffered by passengers in collisions.
Often, helmets and other protective gear could save lives, and so might safer riding practices. However, dangerous and reckless drivers could pose a threat to even the safest motorcyclist.
Dangerous drivers
Drivers have a duty to avoid collisions, and those who change lanes without using a turn signal or make erratic turns at intersections could be responsible for any harm they inflict on a motorcyclist. Speeding and other traffic violations might also establish the driver’s liability for causing motorcycle accidents.
2018 saw 109,000 motorcycle collisions occur, and motorcyclists were not always the victims. Lane splitting factored into numerous crashes, and motorcyclists who engage in such behaviors on the road might be the liable parties in an accident. Other causes, such as reckless driving, intoxication, distractions, and road rage, may leave motorcyclists and vehicle operators facing legal claims.