The Impact of Speeding on Motorcycle Crashes and Fatalities
Speeding is not only one of the most common forms of reckless driving; it’s also one of the most dangerous. Speeding is a factor in a substantial portion of vehicle crashes and fatalities. The NHTSA reports that 34% of all fatal motorcycle crashes in 2020 involved speeding as a factor.
Have you been injured by a speeding driver while riding your motorcycle? You could be entitled to compensation from the liable party. Find out now by calling John H. Ruby & Associates at 502-895-2626.
How Speeding Contributes to Motorcycle Accidents
Speeding ramps up the risk of motorcycle collisions and makes crashes more severe in several different ways. First, riders have a harder time reacting to obstacles on the road when they are speeding. The faster you move, the more quickly you have to act to avoid collisions. When you consider that faster-moving vehicles also need more time to stop, it’s easy to see how speeding causes numerous collisions every single year.
Not only does speeding make collisions more likely, but it also drives up the chance that a collision will cause severe or fatal injuries. Should an accident happen when one or both motorists are speeding, the force of impact is significantly higher than it would be if both drivers were moving at the speed limit.
The force of this impact has to go somewhere, and all too often, it goes to the motorcyclist. Motorcyclists are far more vulnerable on the road than people driving passenger vehicles; their vehicles provide nearly no protective barriers, and even helmets and proper riding gear can only go so far.
Additionally, speeding makes safety gear less effective. Safety gear is tested at certain speeds and levels of impact. Exceeding the recommended speed could push your safety gear to its limits, causing it to fail.
What Can Be Done to Keep Riders Safe?
There is a lot of work to be done to make the roads safer for motorcyclists. Education is a key part of these efforts. While drivers may be taught how to drive safely around other passenger vehicles in driving school, little time is spent on driving safely around motorcycles.
Enhanced education in this area could help drivers take appropriate precautions around motorcyclists. Additionally, educational efforts targeting motorcyclists and focusing on the dangers of speeding could go a long way in reducing accident rates.
Many experts have called for greater enforcement of speed limits and stiffer penalties for those who are grossly negligent when it comes to speeding. However, this approach has its limits. Police departments can only spend so much time and money monitoring roads for speeding, which is why technological advancements targeting this problem are likely to be an important safety tool in the future.
Road design is another way to approach motorcyclists’ safety. Anything that makes it harder for people to speed or that discourages speeding is useful in this area; for example, roundabouts force motorists to slow down in order to enter safely. Speed bumps can also be helpful in some areas.
Legal Options for Injured Motorcyclists
When you are injured by a speeding driver, it’s important that you explore your legal options immediately. With the help of a motorcycle accident lawyer in Louisville, you can build a case against the liable driver and fight for the compensation you deserve. You may have severe injuries and be forced to spend weeks or months away from work. Unless you talk to a lawyer and start a personal injury claim, you will have to shoulder those expenses on your own.
It’s important to work with an attorney with extensive experience in motorcycle collisions. Motorcyclists face unique challenges when it comes to personal injury claims, thanks to widely accepted prejudice against motorcyclists. An experienced attorney will know about these limitations and how best to overcome them.
Contact the Team at John H. Ruby & Associates Today
If you’re ready to demand the compensation you deserve after a motorcycle crash, it’s time to talk to the team at John H. Ruby & Associates. We’re ready to learn more about your collision and how it’s affected you. Set up your free consultation now by calling us at 502-895-2626 or filling out our online contact form.