Motorcycle accident lawyer bellingham Tag

Dangers of Motorcycle Lane Splitting

Motorcyclists have to adhere to the same traffic laws as regular cars, with only a few exceptions. Motorcyclists may be tempted to get ahead of traffic by motorcycle lane splitting but the practice is currently illegal in Washington State. While there are efforts to change the law and allow lane splitting throughout the state, there are concerns about its safety.

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Traffic Violation Leads to Fatal Motorcycle Crash in Blaine

How Are Motorcycle Cases Different from Car Accident Cases?

It’s Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month: Motorcycle Accident Statistics

What to Know About Single-Vehicle Motorcycle Accidents Amid Increase in Motorcycle Accident Fatalities

Risk of Motorcycle Accidents Increases in Summer Months

Motorcyclists look forward to riding in summer weather all year long – especially in the Pacific Northwest where the weather is so cold and wet several months of the year. While it is certainly fun, it’s important to know that riding a motorcycle comes with its share of risks not shared by other drivers on the road and that summer riding can be especially hazardous. According to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, a motorcycle driver is 27 times more likely to die in a crash than a car driver and 80 percent of all motorcycle crashes result in injury or death compared to 20 percent of all passenger car accidents.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motorcycle riders are consistently overrepresented in fatal traffic crashes. In 2020 alone, 5,579 motorcyclists were killed in motorcycle accidents. Because motorcycles are smaller than other vehicles, it’s easy for other drivers to miss them in a blind spot or mirror. Adding to the problem, drivers often don’t understand that motorcycles maneuver differently than larger vehicles.

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Couple Dies in Motorcycle Vs Truck Accident on Chuckanut Drive

As reported by KGMI, a couple from Granite Falls has died after crashing their motorcycle into another vehicle on Chuckanut Drive on Saturday, July 25. The couple was riding their Harley Davidson south at Soundview Road north of Larrabee State Park when they crossed the centerline on a curve. After crossing, they crashed into a pick-up truck driven by a Bellingham man. The couple was taken to PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center where they later died; the driver of the pick-up wasn’t hurt.

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8 Washington State Motorcycle Laws All Riders Must Follow

Motorcycle laws are in place to keep both riders and drivers safe on the roads. Washington State has eight important motorcycle laws that every rider must follow and it’s in their interest to do so. If a rider is involved in a motorcycle accident, he or she will have a harder time collecting a settlement for their injuries if they were breaking a law at the time of the crash.

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Is Lane Splitting on a Motorcycle Legal in Washington State?

Motorcycle riders are sometimes tempted to move through heavy traffic more quickly by lane splitting. Lane splitting is when a bicycle or motorcycle rider rides their bike in the same direction as the flow of traffic but between lanes or rows when traffic is moving slowly or stopped. Other names for lane splitting are white-lining, lane sharing, filtering or stripe-riding.

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How to Prevent a Blind Spot Motorcycle Accident

Summer is prime motorcycle season in the Pacific Northwest and that means more motorcycles interacting with trucks and cars on the roads. When motorcycle accidents happen between a car or truck and a motorcycle, motorcycle riders are much more vulnerable to injury and death because they don’t have the same type of protection. Blind spots are especially dangerous for motorcyclists because motorcycles are smaller and harder to see than passenger cars. When a passenger car or truck driver cannot see a motorcycle in their blind spot they may move into the space and cause a serious crash.

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