If you are a motorcyclist in Austin, the chances are high that you are also a car driver. For many people, a motorcycle is a luxury, to take out on the weekends or in the long summer evenings. A car is more practical for hauling the family around, picking up the weekly groceries or using in winter.
When on two wheels, you know that you will come off worse if you collide with a car. When on four wheels, you keep an extra eye out for motorcycles and understand things that an ordinary car driver might not.
The Texas Department of Transport (TxDOT) runs an annual campaign to help drivers who have not experienced a motorcycle first-hand to avoid causing a motorcycle accident. Motorcycles are harder for nonriders to see than cars because they are smaller and they do not expect to see them. These are the tips given by the campaign:
- Look and look again: As a motorcyclist, you learn to make a second check, called a lifesaver. If car drivers do the same, they could often pick up something they missed in the first look and avoid an accident.
- Assume a bike is closer than you think: It can be hard to judge a motorcycle’s speed. Err on the side of caution and wait until it has passed before turning.
- Indicate: Turn signals show others your intentions. Learn the blind spots of your vehicle and check there is not a motorcycle sitting unseen in them.
- Allow motorcyclists space: Motorcyclists have as much right to be on the road as a car. Compromising their lane when overtaking does not allow them room to avoid potholes, and the draft could cause them to wobble.
If you are involved in an Austin motorcycle accident, whether you are the one on the motorcycle or the one behind the wheel, seek legal help.
