California has more motorcycles and motorcycle accidents than any other state.
Keep reading for some critical motorcycle safety tips so that you can stay safe on the road in San Diego, CA.
Table of Contents
How Mission Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After an Accident in San Diego
Experience matters when you hire an injury lawyer. Insurers have a financial incentive to pay as little as possible for claims. They take advantage of claimants and inexperienced lawyers with tough negotiations and hardball tactics.
Mission Personal injury Lawyers stands up to insurers to get just compensation for their clients. A few reasons to hire our San Diego motorcycle accident lawyers include:
- Over 43 years of combined experience
- A firm with a strong reputation spanning over 25 years
- Dozens of honors and awards
Contact us or give us a call at (619) 777-5555 to schedule a free consultation to discuss your motorcycle accident and how Mission Personal Injury Lawyers can help you in San Diego, California.
How Common Are Motorcycle Accidents in San Diego?
In its most recent Annual Report of Fatal and Injury Motor Vehicle Traffic Collisions, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) reported over 881,000 total motorcycles registered in California. Over 1.4 million riders hold an active California motorcycle license.
In the same report, the CHP reported that 14,148 riders were injured, and 566 were killed statewide. Of these, 1,576 injuries and 65 deaths happened in San Diego County. These numbers put San Diego County in second place behind Los Angeles County in total motorcycle injuries and deaths in California.
Motorcycles are inherently unstable and provide almost no protection in the even of an accident. This means that a higher percentage of motorcycle accidents result in injuries and deaths compared to car accidents.
According to insurance industry research, motorcyclists are 29 times more likely to die and four times more likely to get injured compared to car occupants on a per-mile basis.
Overview of Motorcycle Safety Tips
Interestingly enough, the CHP report states that 70% of fatal motorcycle accidents and 53% of injury motorcycle accidents were the motorcyclist’s fault.
This means you can substantially reduce your motorcycle crash risk through your riding habits. If you get into an accident caused by another driver, they could bear liability for your injuries.
Here are some tips that can reduce the risk and severity of a motorcycle accident:
Slow Down
According to the CHP’s report, unsafe speed was the primary crash factor in over half of motorcycle injury accidents. Unsafe speed happens in two ways.
You will disrupt other drivers’ expectations when you ride faster than the posted speed limit. You will approach quicker and seem to appear from out of nowhere. This increases your chances of getting hit in lane-change and intersection accidents.
When you travel too fast for conditions, you risk losing control of your motorcycle. Gravel, water, or objects on the road could force you to swerve into another vehicle or off the road. You could also approach stopped or slowing vehicles too quickly, leading to a rear-end collision.
Exercise Care at Intersections and While Passing
According to the CHP, improper turns combined with unsafe passing cause more than one-quarter of motorcycle accidents. Motorcyclists can misjudge the speed or distance of other vehicles when turning or passing. As a result of trying to beat the other vehicle, the motorcyclist might collide with it or cut it off.
Turning and passing are also where drivers can cause motorcycle accidents. Drivers often fail to spot motorcycles because of their small sizes.
If a driver turns or sideswiped your motorcycle while turning or passing, the driver and their insurer would bear liability for your damages. Your damages can include your medical costs, lost income, pain, and suffering.
Ride Sober
According to the CHP report, many motorcycle accidents involve riders under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Motorcycles require balance and judgment to ride safely. When you ride while intoxicated, you can lose control of the motorcycle or misjudge another vehicle’s distance or speed.
Wear a Helmet
You must wear a helmet to comply with California law. But since you cannot avoid all motorcycle accidents, you can also reduce your risk of severe injury or death by wearing a helmet.
According to the CDC, helmets reduce the risk of head injury by 69%. They reduce your risk of death by 37%.
In the CHP report, nearly 80 motorcyclists died while not wearing helmets. Those injured without a helmet suffered brain injuries, facial disfigurement, and other catastrophic injuries.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our San Diego Motorcycle Accident Lawyers
You can reduce the chances of getting into an accident by following a few safety tips. You can also reduce the severity of your injuries.But accidents still happen. When they do, contact Mission Personal Injury Lawyers to discuss the compensation you can recover from the at-fault driver. Our San Diego motorcycle accident attorneys are standing by.
