Every year, there are many motorcyclists who suffer serious and fatal injuries as a result of mistakes on the roads. The real shame is that, many times, the injuries they suffer are a result of other drivers who aren’t paying attention.
In a news article from July 17, a man who recently survived a motorcycle crash talked to the press about how serious these collisions are and what he hopes to see in the future. He was involved in an accident in Knoxville when he was traveling home on Clinton Highway. A car turned into his path, causing a T-bone accident when the motorcyclist couldn’t stop in time.
During the collision, the man was thrown around 50 feet in the air and slid along the roadway another 50-or-so feet before coming to a stop. He was fortunately wearing boots and helmet, which may have saved his life. He suffered many injuries including a collapsed lung, broken foot and broken rib.
In this case, the man will fortunately recover from his injuries, but not everyone is so lucky. The Tennessee Highway Patrol reported that there were 124 motorcycle collisions in 2017. In 2018, there have been 53 motorcycle crashes already, not including those recorded by the local sheriffs or police.
It’s a reality that motorcycles are smaller than passenger vehicles, and this can make them harder to see. Regardless, drivers have a responsibility to watch out for motorcyclists and to avoid getting into collisions. Motorcyclists have a right to use the roadways, just as cyclists, truck drivers and others do. There is no excuse for not looking twice to save a life and avoid a motorcycle collision.