Especially with a few more weeks of warm weather, Worcester, Massachusetts, residents are going to find themselves sharing the road with motorcyclists. Most people recognize that they have the same obligations to watch out for motorcyclists and follow the traffic laws, just as they would when around any other vehicle.
However, there are in fact several special precautions motorists can take in order to stay safe around motorcycles, and these precautions have in mind the specific issues motorcyclists face when they are operating their vehicles.
For one, motorists need to have a longer following distance when behind a motorcycle when compared with another car. Unlike cars, motorcyclists often have to swerve or down shift in order to avoid obstacles in the road that would present no issue for a full-sized vehicle. This means that a driver behind the motorcycle cannot and should not expect a brake light when a motorcycle slows down. Moreover, bikes stop very quickly, but the car behind the bike might not be able to do the same.
The other important tip is that drivers need to check for motorcycles riding in their car’s blind spots, and do so more than once before turning or changing lanes. This is especially true when turning at an intersection. Given their size, motorcycles are harder to see when at an intersection, and this can lead to serious accidents when the driver of the other vehicle is not exercising the utmost care.
Following these extra safety precautions around motorcyclists hopefully will prevent motorcycle accidents that have the potential to leave a rider seriously injured and even permanently disabled or dead. If a motorist is not careful around a motorcyclist and causes an accident as a result, that motorist may have to pay compensation to the injured biker.
