Tips for Sharing the Road with Motorcycles in Winchester, TN?

January 9th, 2020 by Attorney John Colvin

sharing the road with motorcycles

Although motorcyclists are sometimes stereotyped as risk-takers, the reality is that the majority of multi-vehicle crashes involving motorcycles are caused by the drivers of full-sized automobiles. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation reports that motorists are nearly three times more likely than bikers to be at fault for these types of wrecks. 

Public safety officials believe that the problem is that many drivers simply do not know how to share the road with motorcycles. It is not something we much training on. The good news is that drivers can do better. In this article, our Tennessee motorcycle accident lawyer offers tips that can help drivers operate more safely around bikes. 

Four Tips for Safely Sharing the Road With Motorcycles

Give Additional Distance to Motorcycles

To start, highway safety experts recommend that drivers leave extra space when following motorcycles. It is crucial that you are able to stop safely, without rear-ending a motorcycle. For obvious reasons, motorcyclists are inherently exposed to danger.

As such, a rear-end collision that might only cause minor damage to an ordinary vehicle may cause a catastrophic motorcycle accident. Play it safe. Give riders extra space.

Assume a Motorcycle is Going Faster than it Appears

If you are an experienced driver, you are probably reasonably good at assessing how fast other vehicles are going. The more time you spend behind the wheel, the better you get at judging the speed of vehicles in your rearview mirrors. That being said, several studies have confirmed that people are simply far worse at estimating the speed of motorcycles.

In many cases, drivers underestimate a motorcycle’s speed. Assume that a bike is going faster than it looks in your mirror.

Use Your Mirrors and Check Your Blindspots

In far too many cases, drivers fail to notice motorcycles at all. Before changing lanes:

  • Double-check all of your mirrors
  • Give another look at your blind spots
  • Ensure you are signaling the intent to change lanes with your turn signal

One of the primary reasons why multi-vehicle motorcycle accidents happen is because drivers do not recognize the presence of a motorcycle in their blind spot.

Pass Bikes With Extreme Care

Finally, drivers should use extreme care whenever passing a motorcycle. Do not allow your vehicle to drift into the motorcycle’s lane early. A motorcycle has the right to control an entire lane—even if they do not actually need the full space to operate.

Remember, any motorcycle accident has the potential to result in severe or catastrophic injuries for the rider. As a safe driver, it is crucial that you do what you can to take additional precautions around motorcycles.

Call Our Tennessee Motorcycle Accident Attorney Right Away

Tennessee Truck Accident Lawyers | John R. Colvin Attorney at Law At the Law Offices of John Colvin, our Winchester, TN motorcycle accident lawyer has the skills, training, and tenacity to handle complex motorcycle accident claims. If you or your loved one was injured in a motorcycle wreck, please contact us for a free consultation. From our law office in Winchester, our legal team represents motorcycle accident victims throughout the region, including in Belvidere, Estill Springs, Decherd, and Cowan.  

Call Today! (931) 962-1044

Disclaimer*
The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advise for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. No representation is made that the quality of the legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.

Licensed to Practice in Tennessee & Alabama