Common Causes of Pennsylvania Motorcycle Crashes

Did you know that motorcyclists are more vulnerable to injuries when accidents occur with larger vehicles?

Because of this frightening statistic, it's beyond important for all drivers on the road to recognize and avoid the most common causes of motorcycle accidents.

Visibility Issues

Motorcycles are inherently smaller than other vehicles, so drivers will often argue they couldn’t see an oncoming motorcycle. One of the most common types of motorcycle accidents occurs when a car is making a left-hand turn into traffic and collides with an oncoming motorcycle. Other times, vehicles changing lanes may fail to see a motorcycle. The injuries sustained by motorcyclists are usually much more severe than those sustained by passengers in average sized cars.

This only makes sense due to the limited protection that motorcyclists are offered. While there are preventative gear such as helmets (which all motorcyclists should wear), there's nothing protecting them from their body against the rough pavement beneath them.

Road Hazards

Road hazards like potholes, unexpected objects or roadkill pose a bigger threat to those riding in motorcycles. While bigger cars can avoid these hazards, a motorcycle can easily be thrown off balance by something on the road.

I was driving home from a concert late this week and in the middle of the road on my exit was a possum eating. He stared up at us with his shiny eyes and it wasn't until we almost hit him did we even realize what was in the center of the road. Incidents like this can happen in the blink of an eye.

Lane Splitting

When traffic is stopped or moving very slowly, sometimes a motorcyclist will attempt to go in between the lanes of traffic. Some states do permit this practice, but it is still a dangerous move that can result in an accident. The risk of an accident is greatly increased due to the closeness of the cyclist to the cars, the reduced space and the fact that most cars don’t anticipate such driving behaviors.

I see this a lot on my commute home, as I'm sure most drivers do. While I don't ride personally, a lot of members of my family do, and it's important for tips like these to be shared because when you have a loved one on the road, the only thing you want is for them to return to your front door safely and unharmed.

What other tips do you have for drivers to help reduce the number of motorcycle accidents that happen on the road? What measures can states like New Jersey or Pennsylvania take to help reduce these accidents?