Most motorcyclists in West Virginia are well aware of the dangers of riding the open roads. However, passenger car drivers tend to be less cognizant of motorcycles and the part that they need to play in motorcycle safety. Here are a couple of the major mistakes that passenger car drivers make around motorcycles.
Failing to see motorcycles
Because the majority of vehicles on the road are not motorcycles, some drivers have a mental blind spot to them. Car drivers fail to look out for smaller vehicles and then get surprised by them when it’s too late. Drivers don’t anticipate seeing motorcycles on the road, especially when they are distracted. Since motorcycles sometimes need to travel through a car driver’s actual blind spot, this unawareness on the driver’s part can increase the risk of motorcycle accident injuries.
Failing to treat motorcycles as motor vehicles
Some car drivers fail to recognize that motorcycles should be treated the same way as other motor vehicles despite their small size. Though motorcycles take up less space on the road, they still require the same amount of following distance as any other vehicle. A car driver shouldn’t pass a motorcycle on a non-passing road or assume that a motorcycle can just move into the bicycle lane.
A lack of motorcycle awareness has serious consequences
Distracted driving is a major concern these days. For motorcyclists, the consequences of a driver texting behind the wheel are often fatal. Between 1997 and 2017, motorcycle fatalities doubled. Being aware of distracted drivers may help a motorcyclist to avoid dangerous situations by taking evasive action early.
