If you drive a motorcycle, you've probably had a few close calls. Maybe a driver pulled out in front of you, or you noticed that someone didn't see you coming, so you had to honk or flash your lights. It's true that motorcycles can be harder to see and hear, but that doesn't mean you should have to worry about negligent or distracted drivers hitting you when you're traveling.
Unfortunately, studies have shown that car drivers are the people who cause most crashes with motorcycles, pointing out the importance of drivers paying attention to the roads. Increasing motorcycle accident numbers are impacted by the number of distracted drivers on the roads; these drivers may be texting, talking on their phones, or could be distracted with other activities.
The Florida Department of Transportation has reported that motorists in cars and trucks are more likely to be at fault in a motorcycle accident, and it's because they tend to fail to yield to the right of way of the smaller vehicle. After reviewing 10 years of data on motorcycle accidents, a senior researcher with the University of South Florida found that over half the time -- around 60 percent of the time in fact -- other vehicles were at fault, not the motorcyclist.
Most crashes with motorcycles do involve other vehicles; they aren't single-vehicle accidents caused by failing to turn or slow down. Vehicles with drivers making left-hand turns are more likely to collide with a motorcyclist, although the reasons for this can vary. Sometimes, drivers may claim they didn't see a motorcycle, and other times, they may claim they thought the motorcyclist was coming slower than they were.
Source: Sun-Sentinel, "Car drivers cause most crashes with motorcycles, study finds," Angel Streeter, accessed July 15, 2015