With the coming summer, many motorcyclists will be eager to get back to the roads. With the return of motorcycles comes new concerns for four-wheel drivers.
Here are some safety reminders for sharing the roads with bikers this summer:
Five safety tips for sharing the road with motorcycles
Crashes involving semi-trucks can be especially dangerous
When a car crash involves a semi-truck, it can be especially catastrophic. Semi-trucks weigh 20 to 30 times more than passenger vehicles do, so often the occupants of smaller vehicles receive serious injuries or are killed in this type of crash.
Because a crash involving a semi-truck can be so severe, truck drivers have special rules they must follow to ensure the safety of others on the road. However, sometimes crashes happen anyway. Crashes can be caused by truck drivers breaking these rules or by other drivers on the road who may not understand the operating limitations of these large trucks.
Staying focused while driving
In a world where all most of our communication comes from a device only a little larger than your hand, there comes an obligation to be “on call” 24/7. At any given time, your phone can beep or chirp with another notification.
Of course, the person on the other end has no idea what that you might be driving. They are merely sending along the information when it is convenient for them. On your end, though, it feels like they need a response right away.
Holding drugged drivers accountable in Alabama
Driving while under the influence of drugs in Alabama constitutes a serious offense. Damaging property or endangering pedestrians occurs while operating a vehicle while high, but the most significant injury is inflicted on innocent drivers nearby.
Drugged drivers harm you and your family members. They operate heavy vehicles in a negligent manner, often inflicting life-threatening injuries or killing drivers throughout Alabama. Fortunately, not only will drivers face significant charges if found guilty, a court may also require them to pay you compensation for your injuries. Understanding the laws behind driving under the influence of drugs helps you identify your right in obtaining payment for a negligent driver’s serious mistake.
How to know if you are sharing the road with an impaired driver
Do you ever feel like you have a bulls-eye on your car? Some days it seems like you are taking your life into your own hands just driving down the road.
According to the Alabama Department of Transportation, someone is injured in a traffic accident about every 11 minutes of every day. And, more than one in three drivers in Alabama will be involved in a serious motor vehicle accident during their lives. While bad drivers cause a number of accidents, many are actually distracted or impaired.
What you need to do after a car accident
Car accidents are a lamentable regularity for drivers. In fact, an article by Forbes estimates that the average American will be involved in three or four accidents in their lifetime, a traffic collision roughly every 17.9 years.
Over 6 million car accidents happen annually and 3 million accidents result in injuries. In the U.S. more than 90 people die in fatal car accidents each day. Not only are accidents deadly, they are expensive. The average insurance claim for an injury accident claim is $23,450.
Will self-driving cars reduce motorcycle accidents, too?
Most industry experts believe it is only a matter of time until the majority of cars on the road are autonomous, or self-driving. Tech companies, carmakers and others have invested over $80 billion and counting in self-driving vehicle technology.
Some skepticism remains, of course. It is hard to put your life in the hands of new technology. And in the case of motorcycle riders, part of the fun is having control over the machine. Many riders may be reluctant to give up control of the bike. It is likely one of the reasons why carmakers are focusing on sedans and commercial vehicles; the market for those vehicles is likely higher, at least initially, than for motorcycles.
