The beautiful temperatures and pleasant wind make driving a motorcycle in Melbourne quite enjoyable. The thrill of the freedom the open road assures often gives an indescribable feeling synonymous with other amazing feelings.
The excitement and allure of revving the baritone sound of the engine, and indeed of riding past several cars because of its maneuverability, doesn’t often go well with other motorists.
Drivers often complain about the growing number of motorcycles in Florida. This disapproval may cause some drivers to disrespect motorcyclists’ rights or even outrightly resent them.
This resentment plus the variance between the number of cars on the road and how they greatly outnumber motorcycles may have an impact on motorcycle accident statistics.
Indeed, perhaps this is why thousands of motorcycle riders are injured and hundreds killed in motorcycle accidents every year.
Another perspective on this could be the motorcyclist’s and their level of risk. Look at it this way. While the structure of a sedan, an SUV, and a truck protects the vehicle’s occupants with the car’s body, airbags, and seat belts, all the motorcyclist has is a helmet and sometimes a knee and elbow pads.
To be this vulnerable and still drive recklessly can cause:
- A life-altering injury or
- Death.
It is essential to look at the various causes that are present in motorcycle accidents and to understand how motorcycle accident victims can grow in number. Let us look at how a personal injury lawsuit may occur within a motorcycle crash and how fatal crashes can impact a wide variety of people.
Challenges of the motorcyclist
Let us look at motorcycle accident cases by first looking at the challenges of the motorcyclist and how a personal injury claim comes into the picture.
- Unlike drivers and occupants of sedans, SUVs, trucks, and saloon cars, motorcyclists are not protected by or covered by Florida’s No-Fault Insurance system. This makes it not so easy for injured bikers to receive compensation for their lost wages, medical bills, loss of consortium, physical and mental disability, property damage, and mental anguish.
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Insurance Information Institute estimated that motorcyclists are 27 times more prone to die from accidents than motorists.
- In Florida, motorcycle riders above 21 do not have to wear a motorcycle helmet.
When it comes to matters like personal injury protection, passenger car occupants, spinal injuries, and highway safety, in these incidents, it is necessary to conduct a review, understand the nature of motorcycle fatalities, and move forward accordingly.
Causes of motorcycle accidents
Some of the most common causes of motorcycle accidents include:
- Aggressive and reckless driving.
- Auto defects. Mechanical faults are also common in most causes of motorcycle accidents. The brakes could fail if the brake oil is exhausted. The break might require a more frequent oil change or complete change. It could also be some component that the rider did not properly maintain or due to wear and tear.
- Dangerous left-hand turn
- Speeding. Many motorcycle accidents result from speeding or excessive speeding from a motorist, motorcycle rider, or both. Posted speed limits should be respected and followed. You should adjust speed to locational requirements.
- Driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
- Fatigued driving. It is dangerous to drive when tired. This leads to poor judgment. A tired driver should park and rest for some minutes before resuming driving.
- Turning in front of a motorcycle without giving room to decelerate or stop.
- Unlawful lane splitting. The motorcycle rider is always responsible for this. Lane splitting occurs when the motorcycle rider rides between and ahead of two lanes of stopped traffic. Due to space constraints, the motorcycle rider or the motorist might be oblivious that a motorbike is unlawfully and inappropriately sharing the lane.
- Distracted driving, including texting while driving
- Unsafe or unlawful passing
- Turning in front of a car without signaling
- Following too closely. When a motorcycle rider follows a motorist too closely, the rider could easily collide into the back of the ongoing vehicle if the motorist suddenly applies the brakes. This could flip the rider off the bike damaging both the bike and the rider.
- Hazardous roads/weather conditions. It is not advisable to ride or drive in hazy weather. This reduces visibility and temporarily can cause sight impairment.
- Failing to obey traffic control devices
- Street racing
- Inexperience. The inexperience of both the driver and motorcycle rider can put both of them in jeopardy. Inexperienced drivers typically flaunt rules such as not using the traffic indicators before making a turn or changing lanes and looking back instead of using the mirrors. This often leads to accidents.
Consequences of reckless cycling
Sadly, the carelessness of the motorcyclist and other motorists can cause severe injuries to the motorcyclist. Some of the injuries include:
- Road rash
- Organ damage
- Spine injuries
- Whiplash
- Fractures and dislocation
- Brain injuries
Prevention Strategies against bike accidents
Some of the ways of preventing a motorbike accident include the following:
- Avoid over-speeding
- When the weather is hazy or cloudy, don’t drive. Put succinctly, don’t drive during bad weather.
- Wear all appropriate gear and not some of it.
- Be confident that you are visible to other motorists while on the road.
- Be attentive and alert while you are on the road.
- Be sober when you drive. Driving under the influence of a sedative, drug, or alcohol can be devastating.
Our Team at Alpizar Law Is Here to Help with These Cases
We hope these guidelines help you get the best out of riding a bike in Melbourne. But mishaps happen all the time even when you follow all the rules.
We understand that motorcycle crashes and catastrophic injuries can take place. We are here to help when it comes to compensation for the injuries sustained in these accidents in South Florida.
Our lawyers at Alpizar Law can help. We are just a call away to help you find the best solution for serious injuries in Broward County.
If you have been involved in an incident relating to motor vehicles, reach out to our team at Alpizar Law today.
