Motorcycles are known as freedom vehicles. If you want to feel the wind in your hair, drive with a sense of real freedom, and wear super cool leather then motorcycles may be your vehicle of choice. Most Americans who have a motorcycle typically use it as a second means of transportation. They save motorcycles for more leisure rides or weekend adventures. However, California recognizes that motorcycles are often used as primary vehicles. Therefore, they have accommodated them by making lane splitting legal.
Lane splitting is when a motorcycle can ride up the middle of traffic lanes. Cars are meant to be more cautious while switching lanes to accommodate the new rule. Unfortunately, people who drive cars are terrible at seeing motorcycle drivers. The most dangerous a motorcyclist can experience isn’t a car coming at them, but a driver who can’t see them and still driving toward them. Road and Track online magazine tell us a story about how our eyes don’t always see what is really around us. Our eyes are not really seeing everything. In fact, we are missing a lot of what is in front of us especially if that something is small and traveling fast. Our eyes are actually pretty blurry and our brain does all it can to process all that is going on. If you are driving in familiar terrain then your brain goes into a kind of autopilot and even though you are looking back and forth your brain isn’t really processing any new information. So when something small or fast goes by, it is harder for our brain to process which means our eyes miss it.
Not only do motorcyclists have to be more aware of their surroundings, but others around them have to be hyper-aware too. Unfortunately with the increase in distracted driving due to the ever-pervasive intrusion of technology, the ability to stay alert while driving is decreasing. This leads to more car drivers hitting motorcyclists. Even though lane splitting is legal, many cars are not looking out for motorcyclists. This does not mean that as a motorcyclist you don’t have the right way. Motorcycle accidents are treated the same as car crashes. So why should a car get more leeway than a motorcycle just because it is bigger? If a car gets hit by a semi-truck should the car be automatically at fault just because it is smaller?
Don’t be bullied by cars or insurance companies that try to make you feel that because you chose to drive a motorcycle you shouldn’t be entitled to compensation because you decided to take on more risk. Our motorcycle accident attorneys at the Law Offices of Howard Kornberg in Los Angeles have specialized in motor vehicle accidents with a specific interest in motorcycle accidents. Since 1997 we have serviced the San Bernardino community and recognize that motorcyclists need special attention. Call 310-997-0904 or click here for a free consultation on how we can help you get compensation for your injuries today.
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