What is the #1 Cause of Motorcycle Accidents?

Driver error is the #1 cause of motorcycle accidents, and all other vehicle collisions. Driver error substantially causes about 90 percent of the motorcycle accidents in Florida. Driver error is usually negligence, or a lack of care, as opposed to an “accident.” People accidentally leave the lights on. They don’t accidentally drive while distracted, speed excessively, or commit one of the other common driver errors discussed below.

Motorcycle crash victims almost always sustain serious injuries. The motorcycle rider crash fatality rate is over thirty times higher than the vehicle occupant crash fatality rate. Head injuries, severe broken bones, and other such injuries often cause emotional injuries which, in many ways, are even worse than the physical injuries.

If negligence causes a motorcycle crash, a Maitland personal injury lawyer can obtain substantial compensation in court. This compensation usually includes money for economic losses, such as medical bills, and noneconomic losses, such as pain and suffering.

Failure to Yield

A left-turn motorcycle wreck may be the best example of a FTY wreck. Such wrecks are especially common in urban areas.

Typically, a tortfeasor (negligent driver) is stationary, waiting to make an unprotected left turn against traffic, usually at an intersection. When tortfeasors think they see a break in the traffic, they quickly accelerate to shoot through that perceived gap.

If the tortfeasor fails to see a small motorcycle, the tortfeasor strokes the motorcycle at almost full speed.

Frequently in these situations, tortfeasors tell victims something like “I never even saw you” or “You came out of nowhere.” To a Maitland personal injury lawyer, such statements are essentially admissions of FTY liability.

Distraction

Many tortfeasors don’t properly watch for motorcycles because they have one eye on a device or are otherwise distracted (e.g. eating or drinking while driving). Any one of the three forms of distracted driving could cause a wreck:

• Manual: When drivers take a hand off the wheel, they have less control over their vehicles, especially if they need to maneuver in the blink of an eye.
• Visual: Quite simply, when people are looking at a device, a cup of coffee, or a sandwich, they aren’t watching the road.
• Cognitive: Many people use driving as their “alone time” to think about other things, such as work through a problem they have at work, home, or school.

Hand-held devices combine all three forms of distracted driving, which is why drivers cannot use them behind the wheel, at least in most situations.

Excessive Speed

High velocity increases the risk of a wreck and the force in a collision. High velocity driver errors might or might not involve “speeding” in the strictest sense. The posted speed limit is a presumptively reasonable speed under ideal conditions. If weather, traffic, light, or other conditions are less than ideal, as they usually are, drivers must slow down.

Drug/Alcohol Use

Most drugs are legal to use and most alcohol is legal to consume. But it’s always illegal, and always dangerous, to drive under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. These substances impair judgement abilities and motor skills.

Reach Out to a Compassionate Orange County Lawyer

Injury victims are entitled to substantial compensation. For a confidential consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer in Maitland, contact Goldman Law, P.A. The sooner you reach out to us, the sooner we start working for you.

Source:

cyberlaw.stanford.edu/blog/2013/12/human-error-cause-vehicle-crashes/