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How can I avoid an accident with a motorcycle?

On Behalf of | Sep 30, 2019 | Motor Vehicle Accidents

People from across the United States come to California to ride their motorcycles on our extremely scenic highways. While it is no secret that California is a beautiful place to drive, driving an automobile alongside all of those motorcyclists can be a little bit stressful. Nobody wants to end up in an accident with a motorcycle, especially given how likely motorcycle accidents are to be fatal for the motorcyclist. According to the Governor’s Highway Safety Association, 15.1% of all motorcycle fatalities happened in California in 2017, so it is important to not contribute to these statistics.

One of the best ways to avoid getting into an accident with a motorcycle is to routinely check your blind spots. Many drivers rely on their rearview and side mirrors to guide them through merges, but this means that the relatively slim profile of a motorcycle can escape your notice. To ensure that there is no motorcyclist lurking in your blind spot, be sure to physically turn your head to check your blind spot before actually merging your vehicle.

If you happen to be driving at night, it is extremely important to make sure that you are not driving toward a motorcyclist with your high beam lights on. This can blind the motorcyclist and render them unable to properly control the vehicle.

Make sure that you are staying in your own lane of traffic. Legally, a motorcyclist is entitled to an entire lane of traffic, even though a motorcycle does not take up as much space as a four-wheel vehicle does. It is actually illegal to try and share the lane with a motorcycle.