Many of the most tragic accidents on Florida highways involve motorcyclists. The cooperation of drivers and bikers could prevent many lives ruined by severe injuries or lives lost in auto vs. motorcycle accidents. If motor vehicle drivers understand the various safety challenges of motorcyclists, it could help to reduce crash risks.
Cooperation between operators of different types of vehicles
One challenge that bikers face is that motorcycles are much smaller than cars and often not noticed by motorists. Drivers who commit to being more vigilant and make special efforts to look out for motorcyclists could make a significant difference. In turn, bikers must also set out to ride responsibly and make sure they are visible to all road users.
Lack of protection for motorcyclists
Motorcycling is fun and exhilarating, but maintaining control of a motorcycle requires skill and experience. However, bikers have none of the safety features that protect motor vehicle occupants. While occupants in automobiles have seat belts, airbags, and the vehicle’s structure to protect them, motorcyclists have no more than their helmets and riding gear. Helmets are not guaranteed to prevent brain trauma, and riding leathers, boots and gloves cannot prevent fractured bones.
Motorcyclists can protect themselves by wearing reflective clothes and riding with their headlights on high beam day and night. Furthermore, obeying traffic rules could make them less vulnerable.
Regardless of all the safety measures motorcyclists observe, it could take only one reckless or negligent automobile driver to cause catastrophic injuries or worse. Injured bikers in Florida may have grounds to pursue financial relief through the civil justice system. However, they would need to show the court that another party’s negligence caused the motor vehicle accident and was the proximate cause of the injuries that followed.