North Carolina Common Types of Motorcycle Accidents

Motorcycle accidents happen for a variety of reasons, and something many of them have in common is that they produce extremely serious injuries. Some common types of motorcycle accidents and the circumstances surrounding them include:

Crashes at Intersections

According to Allstate, 46 percent of all motorcycle accidents occur at intersections. To help prevent these types of crashes, motorcyclists should take an extra few seconds at intersections to make sure car drivers are going to stop, particularly in high-traffic situations.

Accidents Resulting from Adverse Weather Conditions

Poor visibility and poor road conditions due to weather are the cause of many motorcycle accidents. When riding in the rain, motorcyclists need to be most cautious when it first begins to rain, because that is when the water goes into all the dimples in the road and the oil residue from passing vehicles floats to the top, making the road surface extremely slippery. Once the oil is washed off to the side of the road, traction will typically be better, but never as good as a dry road.

Nighttime Collisions

Dusk can be the most dangerous time to drive a car or ride a motorcycle, when people’s eyes are adjusting from daylight to headlights, so slowing down and taking extra care just after sunset is advisable. Motorcyclists should also keep an eye on the road’s surface at night, since it is more difficult to see debris when the road is dark. Motorcyclists who are conspicuous are less likely to get involved in crashes, so the use of high beams whenever possible (without blinding other drivers) is encouraged.

Accidents Involving Distracted Drivers

The Motorcycle Safety Foundation reports that over half of all fatal motorcycle crashes involve another vehicle, such as a car or truck, and distracted drivers are a constant threat to motorcyclists, who need to constantly look for signs of distracted driving around them, such as:

Cell phone use.
Erratic lane changes.
Cars following too closely.

Get Advice From a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in North Carolina

If you’ve suffered injuries in a motorcycle accident, contact the Winston-Salem motorcycle accident attorneys at Nagle & Associates, P.A. online or call (800) 411-1583 and schedule your free initial case evaluation today.