Tens of thousands of motorcyclists are injured annually in crashes the U.S. and many of those crashes involve a driver who made a grave mistake on the road. The following are some examples of serious mistakes by drivers that can cause devastating injuries to motorcyclists.
- Distracted driving - Distracted driving is one of the foremost causes of motorcycle accidents on all types of roads and highways. Motorcycles are already significantly more difficult to notice than larger cars, SUVs, or trucks. When a driver is not paying full attention to the road, it is all too easy to miss a motorcyclist and make an improper lane change or another dangerous maneuver that causes a collision. Activities like texting, talking on a cell phone, reaching for something in another part of the car, and looking at themselves in the mirror commonly lead to distracted driving crashes with motorcycles.
- Intoxicated driving - Driving while intoxicated is strictly against the law in Virginia - and every other state - because it is never a safe behavior for anyone to engage in. When a driver is under the influence of alcohol or drugs, their awareness lessens, their reaction time slows, and other harmful effects result that can lead a driver to hit a motorcyclist. Unfortunately, despite widespread awareness of the risks of intoxicated driving, many drivers continue to do so and cause severe injuries
- Impatient or aggressive driving - Many drivers are in a hurry and become impatient with any traffic that may stand in their way - and motorcyclists are no different. Motorists may become frustrated with a motorcyclist who may be traveling slower in front of them or who may change lanes in front of their vehicle. Often, such impatience and frustration can escalate to aggressive driving practices and drivers may decide to tailgate motorcyclists, change lanes directly in front of a motorcycle (“cut them off”), or drive with excessive speed around a motorcyclist. All of these actions can easily cause a crash.
