There are many things that can cause a motorcycle accident simply because motorcyclists are very exposed to all traffic participants and also the ones most exposed.
So when you are driving a motorcycle, dangers on the road multiply when compared to driving a car.
Every beginner rider learns the most common causes of motorcycle accidents, but there are many who are unfamiliar with other ways to get into an accident that doesn’t require the involvement of another driver.
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Group Riding
There is nothing as exciting when you ride a motorcycle with your friend.
Your little merry band of bikers may look cool and you may all feel amazing, but riding together requires a good strategy and a set of rules everyone in your group should obey.
If even one rider gets distracted and swerves his motorcycle slightly, they may spook the rider next to him causing him to break or bump into another rider.
This is an easy way to create a domino effect of motorcyclists bumping into each other and pose a risk to everyone in the group.
Determine the distance between the riders early on and create your own maneuver to avoid all the possible dangers you may meet on the road.
Brakes Locking Up
Unlike in cars, harsh braking can prove to be disastrous when riding a motorcycle. In a car, when you brake suddenly and hard, a seat belt will help your body stay much or less in place.
On the motorcycle, though, braking hard will catapult you right over your motorcycle.
The greater the speed, the greater the braking power, and the more you will fly away, increasing your chances of being fatally injured.
It is advisable for all motorcycle riders to practice breaking in a safe and controlled environment in order to avoid break lock.
Defects
Just like cars, all motorcycles are built and specifically designed to protect the driver as much as they can. Still, there are those cases when the smallest manufacturer’s error has cost a motorcyclist their life.
Motorcycle failure accidents make up only 3% of all motorcycle accidents in the U.S. but they do still happen. Most of these accidents later show that the problem was in the breaks, toe clips, or shock absorbers.
So if you think your motorcycle was acting strangely before the accident, your motorcycle accident may have been caused by a ”product defect”.
If this is the case then the best way to seek compensation for your injuries is to hire an experienced motorcycle accident attorney and file a lawsuit against the manufacturer.
Turning a Corner Too Fast
Turning a corner fast and coming out without any accidents requires skill, knowledge, and experience.
The rider needs to know what their motorcycle can handle, has to have a good estimation of the corner and the speed required to pull himself through, and they also have to know the lean angle required for that curve.
Besides that, to pass the corner you need to have a smooth and steady transition, without any type of jounces that can make you lose your balance.
For beginners, it is advisable to avoid turning a corner too fast and just lower their speed and pass the corner safely.
But for those who enjoy the thrill, practicing in a controlled and safe environment is required before they take the skill test on the real road.
Gravel
Gravel and any other kind of debris can also be very dangerous for motorcyclists. And no matter how much grip power your tires have, when you hit a gravel patch around the corner you could easily lose control over your motorcycle.
As you never know what awaits around the curve, especially on rural roads and trails, lower your speed so you can avoid slipping on any gravel.
Grass
You would not believe it, but the grass is one of the most dangerous things for a motorcycle rider. More specifically, grass clippings can be found on the side of the road come spring.
Most riders describe it as ice and many have been involved in motorcycle accidents and gotten injured by, you’ve heard it, a patch of grass.
But unlike in most motorcycle accidents, where you can choose to hire a motorcycle attorney and seek justice for yourselves, the one who blew out grass onto the roadway will only be fined a certain amount of money, owing to you nothing in the process.
Not only that, it takes just a handful of grass clippings to cause a motorcycle accident, and a handful of grass clippings is hard to spot on the road at any speed.
Weather
Although California is one of those places that’s blessed with sunny weather most days, those few rainy days can prove to be very dangerous for motorcycle riders.
The morning hours are especially dangerous when low temperatures freeze the water and create a thin icy coat on the road. But there is another very dangerous scenario, even though it doesn’t seem so.
It is just after the first rain of the season when those few drops are not enough to wash away the road but are enough to mix with the oils and dirt of the asphalt, creating a slippery and dangerous surface for motorcycling.
This is why most motorcyclists should avoid early morning rides when the weather becomes cooler and riding during rainfall.
