Motorcycle awareness needed following 3 recent crashes

Drivers in Pennsylvania frequently encounter various types of vehicles. In the warmer months, it is common to share the roads with motorcycles. These smaller vehicles are not equipped with the same types of safety features as other vehicles. Furthermore, they can easily go unnoticed by other motorist, which increases the risk of a motorcycle accident.

Following a recent pattern of automobile accidents involving motorcycles in Pennsylvania, some bikers seek to increase awareness of motorcycles on the roadways and how drivers can increase the safety of bikers on the road. According to reports, the three incidents, two of them fatal, occurred over a span of three days. These tragic incidents took place during the end of the event Roar on the Shore, which caused over 125,000 bikers to travel into Erie, Pennsylvania, for their annual bike rally.

Wet roads on one of the three days may have contributed to one of the incidents. When the roadways get wet, the oils on the road come up and create a slippery surface. Vehicles nearby are often not aware that motorcyclists are not able to handle their vehicle the same way drivers of vehicles can. This could cause a motorcyclist to spin out or lose control if a vehicle is traveling too closely or cuts in front of them. One of the fatal accidents occurred after a car turned into the motorcyclist’s path.

When a motorcycle is injured of killed in a car accident, they may have a cause of action. The injured party might consider filing a personal injury claim in order to recover compensation for expenses such as medical bills and other damages. On the other hand, the loved one of the deceased might consider a wrongful death claim to compensate them for their losses.

Sharing the roads with motorcyclists means double checking blind spots, using mirrors, signaling turns, yielding to oncoming traffic and obeying other rule of a the road. When a driver fails to comply with the standard duty of care while behind the wheel of a vehicle, they could cause a car collision. Those injured or killed in the crash might have a cause of action, and should understand their legal remedies.

Source: Erietvnews.com, “Three Motorcycle Accidents In Just Three Days,” Mackenzie Stasko, July 20, 2014