Why Motorcycles are More Dangerous than Cars on South Carolina Roadways

The reason why motorcycles are more dangerous on the road is pretty obvious when you sit back and think about it. They’re a lot smaller. So when people are driving in traffic, a lot of times they don’t necessarily see them in your rear-view mirror or your side mirrors and consequently, they get hit because they’re not seen by other drivers, and because motorcycles are roughly a third size of a regular car.

For those reasons, it’s quite frequent that they’re struck and since the other driver doesn’t even realize that they’re there, other factors may come into play. Perhaps the other driver of the actual car is driving distracted or they’re intoxicated. There are all sorts of potential variances that can come into play but reality is that it really comes down to just sight. Are you able to see him or are you not able to see him? The way the cars are constructed, with the mirror construction being the way that it is, there’s just a natural blind spot that allows for a motorcyclist to just disappear behind you.

Other Factors that Contribute to the Dangers Motorcyclists Face:

• Motorcycles are a lot smaller mass-wise, so that when they go to brake, it’s much more sudden because they’re not bringing a 2000-pound car to a stop. They’re bringing a 700-pound motorcycle to a stop. So they’re able to stop at a much quicker rate and they get struck from behind by other vehicles that are unable to stop at the same rate and unfortunately since you’re out and you’re not surrounded by that metal casing of the car, you have a tendency to go flying and you get injured pretty significantly.

• Roughly 70 percent of motorcycle accidents happen at an intersection and the reason why that is, is because cars that are sitting at the intersection are – again, it comes down to sight but their line of sight is being obscured by trees or signs or shrubbery or whatever it is that may be in the way, buildings, if you’re in the downtown area and it prevents them from seeing a smaller vehicle that’s coming around the corner. They pull out from a stop sign and then the motorcycle strikes them.

The byproduct of all this is, is that people who are riding motorcycles, it’s not even their fault. A lot of times, they end up severely injured and almost invariably it’s the other driver’s fault. But that’s not going to make you feel any better when you’ve got broken bones all over or you’ve got some sort of debilitating long term injury that has come about as a result of the collision.

Proving negligence in a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit based on a car crash can be complex. It takes an investment of time, experience, and money. An experienced Charleston car accident lawyer can provide these advantages. Protect yourself and your loved ones by contacting Hartman Law Firm, L.L.C. for a free, no-obligation evaluation of your case. We represent clients throughout Charleston and South Carolina. Call us today at 843-300-7600 or use our online contact form.
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