There are more than 880,000 motorcycles registered just within the state of California. Nearly 1.5 million California residents have motorcycle licenses. With perfect weather nearly every day, and windy roads with incredible views, there is a lot to love about riding in California. However, getting into a motorcycle accident prevents some people from taking advantage of the joys that come with riding.
While there is no way to prevent 100% of motorcycle accidents, there are steps you can take to stay safer when you ride. Keep reading to learn about three steps you can take to stay as safe as possible. If you are involved in a motorcycle, or other type of motor vehicle accident, contact The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker at 800-333-0000 for a free legal consultation.
- Do Not Drink and Drive
- Prevent Distractions
- Be Sure You’re Rested Before Getting Behind the Wheel
This is common sense but it is important to keep in mind. Even if you only have a single beer, it could affect how quickly and how well you can respond to dangers in the road. If you are going to be drinking, find someone else to drive you, or park your motorcycle overnight and get a rideshare home. Remember that drunk driving is the leading cause of fatal motor vehicle accidents – and many people who cause these accidents honestly believed that they were okay to drive.
There is no way around it: Driving while distracted is the same thing as driving dangerously. You should not try to update social media accounts, check email, or send texts while on your bike. This is especially true if you are on the highway at a high speed, but even if you are stopped at a red light, taking your eyes off the road for just a few seconds could have dramatic and terrible consequences.
Most people realize that driving while tired is not going to coincide with the safest possible driving. That said, many people don’t realize exactly how dangerous it is. According to recent studies, a person who has been awake for more than 20 hours is as impaired as a driver with a blood alcohol content of 0.08%.
Motorcycle Accidents Are More Common Than You May Think
Even if you driver as safely as possible, motorcycle accident will still occur. According to the California Highway Patrol’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records system, about 500 people die while on motorcycles each year, and another 14,000 suffer injuries.
At The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker we hope that everyone on the road will watch out for motorcycles and yield the road to them when necessary. We also hope that those on motorcycles will take care to drive as safely as possible. When this or another type of motorcycle accident does happen, we are standing by to help. Call our offices at 800-333-0000 to get started.
