Motorcyclists have to be wary of all sorts of mistakes that other drivers will make. When a motorcyclist gets hit, they know full well that the odds of serious injuries are vastly higher for them. The simplest error by a driver could put a motorcyclist in the hospital.
One of the most common ways that this happens is that drivers turn left in front of motorcycles. There isn’t enough space for the motorcycle to stop in time, so the bike collides with the side of the vehicle as it turns. This can be a devastating accident based on a split-second decision by the driver – which turned out to be wrong. Why does this happen?
The driver didn’t see the bike
In many cases, the problem is that the driver never saw the motorcycle. They wouldn’t have turned in front of it if they knew it was there, but they had no idea. This could be because another vehicle was hiding the smaller motorcycle or just because the driver was so used to looking for other passenger vehicles that they didn’t bother to look for the motorcycle at all.
The driver thought they had space
In other cases, the driver definitely saw the motorcycle, but they just thought they had space to execute the turn. This often leads drivers to complain that a motorcyclist must’ve been speeding. But the real problem is just that the motorcycle is so much smaller than a car. It appears to be farther away when the driver checks to see if they have enough space. Even a motorcyclist who is riding at the speed limit could arrive faster than the driver expected.
If you lost a loved one or suffered serious injuries in a motorcycle accident or car accident, make sure you know how to seek financial compensation.
