Motorcycle Accidents And Why They Happen

Aside from defensive riding/driving, there are other ways that motorcyclists can protect themselves while riding.

For example, being aware of the most common reasons for accidents should help raise awareness and teach a rider to focus on these areas and be extra cautious when on the road.

There are plenty of tips on the topic of defensive driving in my blog post "ATGATT" and "Speed Kills", but for the most part this article will give you some common causes of motorcycle accidents, thus increasing your awareness of these situations and helping you recognize and react when they arise.

Four Of The Most Common Reasons For Motorcycle Accidents

1. A vehicle turns left in front of you and strikes your motorcycle, or you cannot stop or manoeuvre in time and run into them. There are many reasons why the operator of the vehicle may do this, be it misjudging the speed of the motorcycle, inattention or just plain arrogance.   
   The trick in this situation is for the motorcyclist to recognize the situations where an oncoming vehicle may make that turn in front of them and make the necessary adjustments to prepare themselves should that vehicle make the turn.
   
   

   

   
   
2. The motorcyclist hits a patch of sand or gravel on a blind curve. Obviously, avoiding the sand or gravel is the best line of defense, but in order to do so the rider must have adequate time and should be entering a curve slowly and exiting fast.
   
3. Too fast in a curve. Don't ride beyond your personal limits and follow the same defensive driving skill as mentioned in #2. If the road is unknown, use the visual clues given by power poles and trees that show the direction of the road on a blind curve. Check out Lazy Motorbike for good suggestions on proper cornering techniques.
   
4. Alcohol! Sad to say but statistics show that 45% of fatal motorcycle accidents involve alcohol, with 30% of those fatalities being illegal blood alcohol concentrations. That's 2.5 times higher than the average in similar situations involving vehicles. Sadder yet, the over 40 crowd, who should know better, are particularly guilty of drinking and riding.
   

Wearing proper gear for protection and visibility, can go a long way to help avoid accidents, and when discussing safety I never miss an oppportunity to mention defensive riding/driving.

Yes, avoiding accidents in the first place by riding/driving defensively is one of hte easiest and best ways to protect yourself and others.

Follow the mantra, "Ride/drive to prevent accidents despite the action or inaction of other drivers/riders"

Here's a video clip recorded on a motorcyclists' on-board camera which is an example of that concept, since it seems to me that the rider and many of the drivers in the situation could have avoided the accident had they done a quick check before entering the intersection.




Without actually being there, it's hard to say exactly what they may have been able to see but do you  think this accident could have been avoided by everyone who proceeded on that green light?

Here's a procedure you can follow when in these dangerous siuations.

• Keep your head up and on a swivel, alternating your gaze between all the danger zones around you, including what's going on behind. 


• Never ever enter an intersection without first looking left, to see what the traffic is doing in the lanes which will be crossed first ( in the scenario shown in the video, this would mean looking left before accelerating after the light turns green)


• If it is safe to proceed, the next lanes crossed will be for traffic coming from the right, so add that direction in to the mix for your focus.


• If riding up to an intersection that already has a green light, don't just keep an eye out for traffic that may be entering the intersection from the left but also look behind you, tapping the brakes a few times to warn anyone who may be following too close ( this may help prevent those vehicles from slamming into your bike and pushing you into the intersection if there is a need to stop suddenly)


• Prioritize your focus on the traffic in the lanes which will be crossed in sequence i.e look left, then to the left and rear, then to the left and forward, then left, rear, forward and right.  


• Again, even if the light is or has been green for any duration, trust no-one and be prepared to stop or take evasive action to avoid a vehicle which has illegally entered the intersection.


• Remember, looking forward is equally important, as people may be turning left from the opposing lanes, especially if there's an advanced green (quite often a driver further back in the line may be hurrying to make the turn before the light changes and doesn't stop on the amber)


• Again, any scenario in which you are already moving as you an approach an intersection has the compounding issue of speed with which to contend.

As we all know, an accident can always be deadly to the rider, and following these procedures may just help you avoid being in that situation in the first place.

Defensive driving means you avoid an accident no matter whether you have the right of way or not. My father used to say "you may be dead right, but it doesn't matter because you're dead!" Keep your head up and on a swivel and get there in one piece.