If you live in Valley Center or elsewhere in Southern California, now is a great time to learn more about motorcycle safety. According to a recent article in the Patch, May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month in California, and the California Highway Patrol (CHP) is taking steps to prevent serious and deadly motorcycle accidents throughout the state. Although the weather is warm enough year-round for motorcyclists to enjoy the streets and highways of Southern California, it is a fact that more bikers are on the road in the spring and summer months. As such, it is an important time to assess previous motorcycle safety problems and to institute better practices going forward.

High Rate of Motorcycle Accidents Last Year in California

As the article explains, we are not seeing a noticeable reduction in the rates of motorcycle accidents in California. In 2015, there were 494 motorcycle accident fatalities and more than 13,500 accident-related injuries. By 2016, the number of nonfatal accidents had increased to more than 14,000, while the fatality rate dropped, although not considerably, to 476.

Part of the reason that there are so many motorcycle accidents in California is that there is a particularly high number of licensed riders in our state. There are currently “more than 884,000 registered motorcycles and more than 1.4 million licensed riders in the state,” the article says. According to the CHP, as we mentioned, “throughout the spring and summer, the number of motorcyclists on the road will increase.”

Safety First on California’s Highways

Given the high rate of motorcycle accidents and injuries, the CHP is focused on reducing the number of motorcycle accidents and injuries and creating a safer environment for bikers. Part of that safer environment revolves around renewed campaigns to share the road, which emphasize that automobile drivers and truckers have a responsibility to motorcyclists, just as motorcyclists have a responsibility to other motor vehicles on the highway. What does the CHP recommend when it comes to sharing the road?

The CHP has the following tips for automobile drivers:

• First and foremost, stay alert to your surroundings;
• Recognize that motorcyclists can be hard to see (and thus always look twice before changing lanes or turning left);
• Use common sense when you are on smaller roads or on the highways;
• Be courteous to all other motor vehicle drivers on the road always keep safety measures in mind.

What can motorcyclists do to help prevent accidents? The CHP recommends the following:

• Always use a turn signal;
• Avoid riding in a car’s blind spot; and
• Wear a DOT-approved helmet.

Much of the May safety campaign involves raising awareness about sharing the road and understanding the differences between automobiles and motorcycles when they are on the highways together. The key is acknowledging that car drivers and motorcyclists have duties toward one another, and the sooner we take into account our own safety just as much as another driver’s, the sooner we may see a reduction in motorcycle accidents, injuries, and fatalities.

Contact a Valley Center Motorcycle Accident Attorney

If you have questions about filing a motorcycle accident lawsuit, a Valley Center motorcycle accident lawyer can speak with you today about your case. Contact the Walton Law Firm to learn more about how we can assist you.

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(image courtesy of Igor Ovsyannykov)

If you are riding on a motorcycle in San Diego, are you at higher risk of suffering injuries in an auto accident than other motorists? According to a recent article in the Ventura County Star, law enforcement officials in our state are concerned about motorcyclist safety and are conducting motorcycle safety enforcement operations in Southern California. It is important to know the risks associated with motorcycle accidents, and it is essential for bikers to understand the ways in which we can all work together to prevent deadly crashes.

Safety Enforcement Operation Targets Common Motorcycle Accident Areas According to the article, earlier this month the Ventura County sheriff’s office planned an operation to “patrol areas frequented by motorcyclists and where motorcycle crashes have occurred.” The law enforcement officers planned to keep a close eye on traffic violations committed by automobile drivers, but also by motorcyclists who share the roadways. While not all motorcycle collisions occur during daylight hours, more auto accidents happen during the daytime work week than you might think. As such, the enforcement period focused on the hours between 7:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

What are some of the behaviors and violations the Ventura County sheriff’s office aimed to stop through the safety enforcement operation? Authorities are interested in both identifying traffic violations that can put other drivers and riders at risk in addition to helping motorcyclists to learn ways of staying safe on the road. Generally speaking, traffic citations can be issued for certain forms of aggressive driving, such as speeding, running red lights, and riding through stop signs. But other safety issues involving motorcycles do not necessarily allow law enforcement officers to issue citations. According to the article, the safety enforcement operation also hoped to encourage motorcyclists and automobile drivers to pay attention to the following issues:

• Knowing the importance of sharing the road, both for motorcyclists and automobile drivers alike;
• Automobile drivers looking twice for motorcyclists before turning, entering the highway, or changing lanes;
• Motorcycle riders wearing helmets and protective clothing;
• Motorcyclists only changing lanes when there is “ample room” to do so;
• Staying with the speed of traffic, particularly if you are a motorcyclist (and not speeding ahead or weaving between cars); and
• Motorcycle riders using lights at all times, even during the day.

A guide from Consumer Reports emphasizes that, while not all states require motorcyclists to wear helmets, a helmet is indeed required of all riders in California. Wearing a DOT-approved motorcycle helmet is not just an important safety decision—it is also the law.

Causes of Motorcycle Accidents Given the key issues in the motorcycle safety enforcement operation we discussed above, you may be able to guess some of the primary causes of motorcycle collisions. According to a fact sheet from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), the following represent some of the most common reasons that motorcycle accidents and fatalities occur:

• Failure to wear a helmet;
• Failure to have a valid motorcycle license and/or training;
• Impaired riding or driving (driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol); and
• Speeding.

In 2013 alone, according to the GHSA, more than one-third of all deadly motorcycle accidents involved riders who had been speeding.

Contact a San Diego Motorcycle Accident Attorney If you or someone you love suffered serious injuries in a motorcycle collision, an experienced San Diego motorcycle accident lawyer can help. Contact the Walton Law Firm today to learn more about our services.

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