Sadly, motorcycle accidents are a regular occurrence on the roads of the UK and unlike cars, motorcycle accidents often lead to serious injury and in some cases, death. Motorcycle accidents come in all shapes and sizes and no two incidents are ever the same; they may appear to be but there are so many variables that can affect motorcycles so every accident scenario is unique. Almost every motorcycle rider has had an accident or a near miss during their time on the road and knowing what the most common types of accident are could potentially save your life in future. The majority of accidents usually fit into these categories: Accidents involving another party at a junction: motorcyclists are trained to be aware of their surroundings for every minute of their journey; sadly the same can’t be said for other road users. The vast majority of road traffic accidents involving motorcycles are caused by another road users negligence, usually when a car driver fails to see a motorcycle coming their way. More often than not, this happens at junctions. These accidents can be avoided by expecting the unexpected, especially when approaching a junction or side road.
Accidents whilst stationary: another common scenario involves motorcyclists being rear-ended by traffic approaching from behind them. These accidents can vary between a small bump and a topple over to more serious and even life threatening situations.
In many circumstances, a car driver will have failed to see a waiting motorcyclist and hit them; in others, motorcyclists waiting at a junction, traffic lights or pedestrian crossing have been hit by over-eager motorists. This is a surprisingly common accident scenario. Failure to navigate the road: these accidents occur when a motorcyclist has lost control of their motorcycle, usually on a curve. It can also apply to situations where a motorcyclist has failed to assess the road properly and crashed due to loose chippings on the road, weather affected road markings, road works or an oil spill. This type of accident usually only involves the one motorcycle but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the blame falls solely on the motorcyclist.
The open door scenario: these accidents mainly occur during busy, urban environments where cars are parked on the roads. A typical situation would involve a motorcyclist riding along the road only to be hit by an opening car door. The severity of these accidents can vary between cuts and bruises to fatal. Again, this type of accident is caused by someone else’s negligence, providing that you were riding according to the law.
Being aware of what the main types of motorcycle accidents are can pay dividends in future. If you’ve been involved in a situation similar to the ones above, don’t hesitate to contact us.