Posts tagged "motorcycle awareness"

Late spring is one of the best times of year for motorcycle riders. The weather is finally consistently warm and everything is in full bloom, making for some very scenic and pleasant rides. But the roads are no less dangerous for motorcyclists during this season, especially if other drivers on the road aren't paying attention or are for some reason not fully equipped to handle their vehicles.

A tragic example is the motorcycle accident that happened a couple weeks ago in Highland County, Ohio, just east of Cincinnati. A motorcyclist in his early 60s and his wife, both of Hillsboro, were traveling south on Ohio Highway 73 on May 9 when their Honda motorcycle was struck head-on by a Chrysler minivan in Liberty Township. The driver of the minivan, a 91-year-old woman, was attempting to turn left when accident happened.

Chances are you've heard the slogan and seen it on bumper stickers multiple times: Start seeing motorcycles. It's a simple message, yet motorcycle accidents continue to happen simply because many other drivers fail to keep an eye out for the two-wheeled vehicles.

An unfortunate example is the fatal crash that happened Wednesday morning in Milford Township, Ohio, just outside Cincinnati. A 25-year-old man was riding his Harley-Davidson south on state Highway 177 when a pickup truck heading west pulled out onto the highway and struck the motorcycle. The motorcyclist, who was wearing a helmet, was rushed to a hospital in a medical helicopter but died of his injuries that night. The crash remains under investigation, but it could be weeks before charges are filed against the 17-year-old pickup truck driver.

Statistics show that the number of people who have died in motorcycle accidents in Ohio has declined in 2011. So far this year, motorcycle crashes have caused the deaths of 120 people, a significant decline from the same period last year, in which 158 people were killed. These figures were released recently by the State Department of Public Safety.

This decline in fatal motorcycle accidents comes as more Ohio residents are becoming licensed to operate motorcycles. There are about 711,000 drivers in Ohio with a motorcycle endorsement permit stamp on their driver's license this year, which is up from 699,912 in 2009.

Recently, a motorcyclist was involved in a three-vehicle collision on a Cincinnati road, resulting in a fatal motorcycle accident.

Police are now investigating the accident to determine exactly what happened. They are also seeking help from witnesses who may be able to offer any new information on the fatal accident.

From what authorities could gather from witness reports, the motorcyclist, a 34-year-old man, lost control of his 2003 Yamaha YZF-R1 while traveling westbound on Glenway Avenue.

A common factor that we see in motorcycle accidents involves a driver's inability to see a motorcyclist. All too often, this is the result of driver inattention or a driver's failure to look for a motorcycle.

On September 12, 2011, a student was leaving his college campus on his motorcycle when he suffered the unthinkable. As he was driving, he was compelled to swerve his bike to avoid a motorcycle accident with a vehicle that pulled out in front of him, apparently without seeing him. In an effort to protect himself, he attempted to lay his bike down and skidded before he collided with a third vehicle, a BMW. The man became pinned beneath the vehicle.

Former American Idol contestant Casey James credits a serious motorcycle accident with giving him a new perspective on life.

AOL's The Boot blog quotes James as saying that the accident affected him as a person "in every way." James says that after the accident he realized just how much he took for granted in his life.

According to statistics from the Ohio State Highway Patrol, 11,400 people were injured in motorcycle accidents from 2008 to 2010 in Ohio. An additional 542 people were killed in Ohio motorcycle accidents during that same period of time.

All too often, a motorcycle accident occurs because a driver violated a motorcyclist's right of way. Many drivers will later say that they never saw the motorcyclist coming. Experienced motorcycle accident attorneys hear that excuse often, but failing to see a motorcycle does not excuse a driver from liability for damages caused by his or her own negligence.

The season has changed for the warmer and for the better in Cincinnati. With warmer weather and longer days, many motorcycles that have spent the winter hibernating inside garages are returning to Ohio roads and highways.

Public awareness campaigns designed to increase driver awareness of motorcyclists on the roads have been successful over the past few years. However, because many drivers have not seen a motorcycle in several months, it can be easy for drivers to revert to old habits and to cause motorcycle accidents.

It is an unfortunate reality that when a motorcycle collides with another type of vehicle, the motorcyclist usually takes the brunt of the damage. The fact of the matter is that when a motorcycle collides with a car or truck, usually the driver of the car or truck violates the motorcyclist's right-of-way. Car and truck drivers involved in motorcycle accidents often appear to be a broken record, saying, "I didn't see the motorcycle."

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, several factors cause drivers to overlook motorcyclists and violate motorcyclists' right of way. Firstly, motorcycles are a small portion of vehicles on the road. Drivers can go for months over winter without seeing a motorcycle on the road, so many drivers do not anticipate encountering a motorcycle on the road and they therefore fail to look for motorcyclists.