Motorcycle Safety: Be Alert; Drive Within Your Own Skill Set

If you ride a motorcycle, then you should be aware of the number of fatalities that occur every year on the highways and byways of the nation; you must take extra precautions to avoid becoming a statistic. Many people think that something like this will never happen to them; then, of course, it does. If they are lucky and live through the experience with serious injuries, they may wind up in the office of a personal injury lawyer discussing compensation for their injuries.

This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t ride a motorcycle; if you love to ride, you should do what you love. We recommend proper precaution and safety and the use of all the protective equipment possible. Will this help prevent an accident? Maybe not, but it may prevent your injuries from that accident from being serious or life threatening.

Most motorcycle accidents happen as the result of inattention or negligence attributable to a automobile or truck driver. Approximately 75% of all biker wrecks involve a car or other vehicle. Roughly two thirds of the crashes are caused by driver negligence. In most cases, it boils down to failing to yield the right of way. Almost 50% of biker crashes involve alcohol on either one or both sides. Other causes may be defective bike parts, poor bike maintenance, poor road maintenance, bad weather or inexperience.

According to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, there are many actions you can take to become a better and safer rider:

1. Get training and licensing.

2. Wear protective gear, at all times. The MSF recommends that you wear all recommended gear, all the time, especially a helmet that is manufactured to the standards set forth by the Department of Transportation.

3. Ride unimpaired by alcohol or drugs.

4. Ride within your own skill limits.

5. Continue training; take refresher rider courses.

You will find a library of safety tips at the MSF website. Your best defense is alertness while driving and utilizing your own instincts. You must drive defensively and not aggressively, at all times. Stay out of obvious vehicle blind spots; don’t follow too closely and don’t weave in and out of lanes. If an accident happens and involves the negligence of another, speak to an experienced personal injury lawyer. If you are pursuing litigation against an at-fault driver and are having financial difficulties, you may qualify for lawsuit funding. This is a unique service that provides a lawsuit cash advance to litigants based only upon the potential resolution of their cases. Funds can be used to pay important bills or expenses, like car payments or mortgage payment, or they can be used to pay medical bills and other care expenses related to the accident. Lawsuit funding repayment is contingent upon the outcome of your case, if if used appropriately and strategically, it can remove financial pressure to settle too soon for too little.