With spring at hand, there will likely be more motorcycles on the roads of Baltimore County and the rest of Maryland for the next several months of warmer weather.
Fittingly, May again will be Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. A month dedicated to motorcycle safety is always appropriate. Motorcyclists tend to get the worst of it in a motor vehicle accident because of the relatively small size and delicate nature of both a motorcycle and its riders.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA, in 2022, over 6,200 riders died in traffic accidents. This number made up 15 percent of all traffic fatalities. Motorcyclists died in motor vehicle accidents at a rate over 20 times higher than those traveling in cars, if one considers the number of fatalities by millions of miles traveled.
Motorcyclists themselves should take responsibility for their own safety by driving sober, not speeding and following all traffic laws. Helmets also can prevent accidents from causing a severe injury or death.
However, drivers of other vehicles also need to pay special attention for motorcycles. Because they are so small, motorcycles can be hard to see anywhere, and especially in a vehicle’s blind spots.
It also can be difficult to judge the speed of a motorcycle, so it is better not to pull out into an intersection if a motorcycle is approaching on the cross street. Finally, because of the different way motorcycles operate, it is safer when drivers give motorcyclists extra following distance.
Those who are victims of motorcycle accidents may have legal options
Victims of motorcycle accidents in Maryland may have legal options available to them. If they suffered an injury because of the careless or inattentive driving of another motorist, they may be able to recover the costs of their medical bills as well as their lost income. They may also receive compensation for so-called noneconomic losses like pain and suffering.