Sharing the Road With Motorcyclists

As summer draws near travelers will begin to notice an increase in motorcyclists on roads and highways, especially in colder winter climates such as Salt Lake City. Although motorcycles are smaller, bikers are still entitled to the same protection offered by safe and defensive driving practices. Drivers should take extra caution when traveling near motorcyclists to avoid an unnecessary motorcycle accident and the costs associated with hiring a lawyer. While safe driving practices should be used at all times, you should take extra care when navigating around motorcyclists. 

At all times while driving be aware of your surroundings. Consumer Reports recently measured the blindspots of drivers based on height and type of car. They found that the average driver in a small sedan has a blind spot that extends 12 feet behind the car. For larger vehicles blind spots can extend up to 24 feet. An average motorcycle is 7 feet long and therefore much easier to lose in a blind spot. Any lawyer will advise you that if you hit a motorcyclist then you carry fault, whether they are in your blind spot or not. When driving near bikers, make sure to keep track of where they are to avoid losing them in your blind spots or causing a potentially fatal motorcycle accident.

It is also important to keep track of how fast motorcyclists are traveling, especially when driving behind them. It is not uncommon for motorcyclists to downshift rather than brake when slowing down. You might not see brake lights indicating that you need to slow down, so visually gauging speed is especially important when driving behind motorcyclists. Even if you do not see brake lights, a lawyer may attempt to place the fault on you if you are involved in an accident.

If you need to pass a biker or group of bikers, using safe passing practices such as using blinkers, and checking mirrors will communicate intentions to other travelers, avoiding a stressful motorcycle accident. After changing lanes and passing at a safe speed, allow for sufficient space before returning to your original lane. Motorcycles may be traveling faster than they appear. Don’t risk an accident by changing lanes to early.

Whether you are driving on a highway or in the canyons near Salt Lake City, taking the necessary precautions to avoid a motorcycle accident will mitigate unnecessary stress and cost, avoid fees to hire a lawyer, spikes in insurance premiums, medical expenses and time lost. Be aware of your surroundings at all times and never change lanes or make turns without being absolutely sure that it is safe to proceed. 

Drew Scholl is a legal writer for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. Information provided by Robert J Debry. Follow on Twitter.