There are millions of registered vehicles in Texas, a minority of which are motorcycles. Motorcycle riders, like those in enclosed vehicles, must abide by state traffic laws. They often have more of an incentive to follow the law carefully because a crash would put them at more risk than those in vehicles with protective structures and safety systems.
Frequently, the people in the bigger vehicle will be responsible for a car-motorcycle crash. Some of these collisions are the result of bad behaviors like drunk or distracted driving. However, another factor contributes to a large number of motorcycle crashes.
Drivers don’t notice motorcycles in traffic
The unfortunate reality for motorcycle riders is that drivers often fail to see them even when they are plainly visible across an intersection. Drivers will claim that they did not see the motorcycle.
Researchers attribute this to a phenomenon called inattentional blindness. Drivers can only focus their attention on a few details at any given moment, and their brains will focus more on what seems to be a safety risk than on smaller objects, like motorcycles. A driver can look directly at a motorcycle and see it without ever mentally recognizing its presence.
Those riding motorcycles can diminish their crash risk by acting as though they are invisible on the road and adjusting their behavior accordingly. Learning more about the factors that contribute to motorcycle collisions can help people improve their overall traffic safety and may help them recognize when they have grounds to pursue a personal injury lawsuit after a collision with a larger vehicle.