Our climate and beauty are what attract many Californians to the road on motorcycles every day. Many of us take almost year-round advantage of our motorcycles. But riding a motorcycle comes with its own inherent drawbacks and dangers, especially here in Georgetown and Sacramento metro.
Motorcycle Injuries and Rear End Collisions
Georgetown injury attorneys understand that the majority of motorcycle accidents resulting in injuries are rear-end accidents. According to the National Highway Safety Transportation Administration, more than 25 percent of motorcycle accidents are rear end collisions occurring while a rider is stuck in traffic.
When a motorcyclist is hit from behind, the point of impact causes the rider to pitch forward. Even if the hit doesn’t seem substantial, the biker may be caused to fly from the seat and into oncoming traffic. Because bikers have so little in the way of protection, our Georgetown injury lawyers see fatalities frequently from collisions that would be inconsequential in an automobile accident.
Fatalities from Motorcycle Accidents
Impact from flight into another object often causes multiple injuries that a rider will not recover from. Even after being transported by emergency services to a hospital, motorcycle riders who have experienced a rear end collision will often die en route to the hospital due to internal injuries.
Lane Splitting
Some advocates offer lane splitting as a means to reduce the number of these serious accidents to motorcyclists. A study by the Los Angeles Times surmised that lane splitting could help prevent nearly 18,000 freeway accidents nationally.
Lane splitting is riding a motorcycle or bicycle between lanes of slow moving or stopped traffic that is moving in the same direction. Lane splitting was allowable in California, one of the only states to allow it. For motorcyclists, it was one way to avoid rear-end collisions such as the ones we are discussing. Riding slowly between the lanes allowed motorcyclists a better position defensively, they felt. But California removed any guidance on safe lane splitting in its 2015 revision of the DMV’s handbook. The revision now reads:
“California law does not allow or prohibit motorcycles from passing other vehicles proceeding in the same direction within the same lane….”
Many Believe that Lane Splitting is Beneficial
Many motorcyclists feel that lane splitting, when done safely, serves to reduce traffic congestion and can allow them to get from point A to point B a bit more quickly. However, motorcyclists also understand that it comes with its own drawbacks, particularly from drivers who change lanes quickly without signaling. Unfortunately, there are also drivers who simply don’t like the practice and will swerve to block motorcyclists who are lane splitting.
A No-Cost Consultation with a Georgetown Injury Attorney
If you are a motorcyclist who has been injured in an accident involving a negligent driver, call our Georgetown personal injury attorneys at RPC Law. We offer a no-cost consultation to discuss your injury in order to determine if you have a claim. Let us help protect your legal rights after a motorcycle or automobile accident.