As we move into summer, it’s worth talking about some of the road users that begin to appear when the weather improves. Motorcyclists are one of the most vulnerable groups to injury or fatality when involved in collisions.
When a crash happens involving a motorcycle and other vehicle, who is typically found at fault?
It’s most often the fault of the OTHER DRIVER…. SURPRISED?
In fact when it’s not a single vehicle incident involving the motorcycle, it’s usually the other driver who has made a mistake that resulted in the accident.
What is the most common place and type of collision involving a motorcycle and other vehicle?
There are certainly many places where vehicles can collide; but the most common place for another vehicle and a motorcycle to collide is at an intersection when the other driver is turning left or right and turns in front of the motorcyclist.
Why does this happen? (a driver turning in front of an oncoming motorcycle)
There are 2 primary reasons that this can happen:
Tailgating Tips:
Motorbikes are vulnerable road users; they do not have the protection that a car or Lorry has. Almost, always result in injury.
If you expect to see motorbikes, you are more likely to detect them. Often we can filter out the things we don’t expect and just not see them Always look for motorbikes especially at intersections
Motorbikes are much more lighter than other vehicles and can stop in much shorter distances. This means that when you are following a motorbike, you should leave more distance. If the rider has to make an emergency stop, the bike will stop in a much shorter distance than your vehicle.
When you see a motorcycle approaching, realize that it’s easy to misjudge the speed because the size of the cycle and the fact that its coming towards you makes it difficult to estimate speed.
Practical Challenge:
For the next week, make a point of watching for motorcycles and develop a habit of identifying them as soon as you can. Be especially careful at junctions/intersections.