Motorcycles and Wrongful Death

Florida has the kind of weather that motorcyclists just love.  The days are long and the weather hot.  There’s nothing better than cruising down that highway with the wind blowing through your hair on your bike.  But being on a bike is dangerous these days.  The roads are more crowded and the speeds at which traffic flows is much faster than ever.  When you are driving your bike on the roads you really need to pay attention.

What about if you are one of the drivers sharing the road with the motorcyclists?  There are many times you don’t even see these motorcyclists on the road until they are right on top of you.  Knowing how to share the road with motorcycles can save a life.  Here is some advice from motorcyclists on how to drive safely around them.

One common complaint that drivers have about motorcyclists is that they swerve around in the travel lane.  There are several reasons they do this.  Hitting a pothole in a motorcycle can cause a crash.  Swerving around them avoids this.  Motorcyclists also like to move around behind a car to stay out of blind spots.  You are more apt to see a bike if it moves around to stay out of your blind spot.

When traveling behind a motorcycle, leave extra room.  Motorcycles can stop quicker than a car.  If the motorcyclists has stop suddenly and you are following too closely behind, you will not stop in time.  Remember to increase the distance between you and the bike.

Pay attention when turning.  Motorcycles are smaller than other vehicles and therefore more difficult to see.  Most motorcycles require headlights to be on at all times, however there are bikes that have been customized and may not have an operating light.  Take a few seconds longer to check both ways before making that turn.

We all know there are careless drivers out there and some motorcyclists take advantage of their size when on the road.  We have all been in situations where someone on a bike passes between two cars that are in their travel lanes.  This is a dangerous practice by motorcycles.  They can speed up behind you and zip by before you know it.  In the summer, and particularly in Florida where it’s hot, car windows are up and air conditioning is on making it difficult to hear an approaching bike.  Always check all your mirrors before making a lane change.

Remembering these few common sense rules for sharing the road with motorcyclists could save a life and keep you out of a wrongful death court case.