To prevent motorcycle accidents, drivers must be aware

After many serious motorcycle crashes caused by other drivers, those drivers offer an all-too-simple explanation for the crash: They never saw the motorcycle at all. They pulled out of a driveway or turned left across the oncoming lanes, thinking the way was clear. Then the bike slammed into the car, seemingly coming out of nowhere.

Unfortunately, some drivers like to blame motorcyclists for these accidents. They claim that the riders must have been breaking the speed limit to show up so fast. They blame black bikes and black leather jackets, saying they couldn’t see the other person because they blended into the road. They accuse the riders of reckless, dangerous behavior.

The reality, though, is that a lot of accidents happen because people look at bikes and just don’t see them. They don’t expect them to be there, and it never registers. A bike is small, it may blend in and unaware drivers assume the road is clear when they don’t see a car — never looking for the motorcycle.

To put an end to these accidents, some safety experts say drivers need to “look twice for motorcycles.” If they check once and see nothing, it just takes a second to look again and confirm. That second could be the one that saves a rider’s life.

This is good advice, but many drivers will not follow it. They will still cause accidents with bikes that they overlook until the crash. Those who get injured in these accidents may be able to seek out compensation for medical bills, lost wages and other such costs.