North Carolina drivers might reasonably harbor differing – and quite contrastive – views regarding motorcycling in the state.
On the one hand, it is easy for many to appreciate multiple upsides linked with behind-the-wheel engagement on a bike. Indeed, the sheer freedoms tied to motorcycle travel have been widely celebrated by a vast band of enthusiasts for decades.
Riders are closer to nature than their motoring peers maneuvering 4-wheel passenger cars and trucks. They can go more places. They can often leave late and arrive early at their destination. And they have unadulterated fun while being members of a time-honored community that is vast and varied in nature.
On the other hand, though, there is a flip side to all those positives.
And it is both adverse and incontrovertible, being based on empirical evidence that conveys a sobering tone.
Some telling risk-and-accident data relevant to motorcycle travel
One national overview of motorcycle safety challenges underscores riders’ “unique position” when out in traffic. “They enjoy the freedom,” notes that source, “but they are also exposed to dangers not met by automobile drivers and other traffic.”
Those risks can hardly be overstated. Consider these bits of data provided by national safety regulators:
- 20-year-plus steady drop in road deaths nationally for occupants in passenger vehicles, contrasting with a dramatic escalation of motorcyclists’ fatalities over the same period
- An almost unfathomable “26 times more likely to die in a crash” rate for motorcyclists as compared with individuals in passenger cars and trucks
A common culprit in adverse motorcycle crash outcomes
Commentators on bike crashes often highlight motorcyclists’ behind-the-wheel deficiencies when reporting on accidents and resulting injuries. A biker was speeding, for example, or failed to keep his or her machine in prime condition. Many riders are cited for alleged subpar riding skills and lack of required focus.
Here’s a telling truth, though, as conveyed by the U.S. Department of Transportation: In multi-vehicle accidents involving a motorcyclist, some negligent act committed by the other driver causes the crash in an overwhelming percentage of cases.
Motorcyclists and their passengers are not second-class citizens on North Carolina and national roadways who command only a limited number of rights.
In fact, their behind-the-wheel prerogatives are the same as those held by all other drivers.
That means this: They are both entitled and encouraged to demand accountability and seek maximum compensation following a crash caused by another motorist’s substandard driving.
An experienced personal injury attorney can help them do that and secure a meaningful remedy relevant to broad-based needs.
