Many car and truck drivers have never even ridden on a motorcycle, much less driven one on their own. This can lead to misunderstandings and mistakes on the highway, and these can turn into deadly accidents.
To help prevent this, here are four things that drivers should always try to remember about motorcycles:
- Riders do not always use their brakes, even when they are intentionally slowing down. They may just downshift and let go of the throttle. Do not count on a brake light to warn you that the bike is slowing.
- Your blind spots are huge for a motorcycle. The entire bike can be hidden by that pillar supporting the back corner of your roof. Always double-check before switching lanes.
- Motorcycles are often closer to you than they appear. They are very small and very fast. The size, in particular, causes a lot of problems when you’re used to gauging how far away cars and trucks are. Don’t cut off a motorcycle. Give the rider extra space.
- Motorcycles deserve the entire lane. Don’t try to drive next to them or pass in the same lane. If a motorcyclist sees debris in the road, while you may be able to hit it with your car, he or she may swerve around it to avoid a crash. The biker needs all of the room in the lane. Respect bikers and give them the same space you’d give another car.
These four tips can help prevent a lot of dangerous motorcycle accidents, but the risk still remains high on roads all over Texas. Riders who get hit and injured must know all of their legal rights to financial compensation.
Source: Motorcycle Safety Foundation, “For Car Drivers,” accessed March 21, 2018
Michael Zimmerman
Michael was born in Houston, Texas. His education at Baylor and Texas State Universities earned him a Bachelor of Science degree in 1987. His major was in Biology with a Minor in Chemistry. He finished his legal education at Texas Southern University in 1990, earning a Juris Doctorate from Thurgood Marshall School of Law. He was admitted to the State Bar of Texas in 1990.
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