Motorcycles have now become a popular part of trendy culture. The warm weather and beauty of San Francisco and Northern California make motorcycles a perfect way to commute or just get away from the pressures of everyday life. Despite the fact that motorcycles have become fashionable for those from all walks of life, including Hollywood actors/actresses, corporate executives, lawyers and many others who may not fit the historical stereotype of the outlaw biker, these outdated notions continue to affect many inconsiderate drivers. The archaic concept of the renegade biker continues to motivate many drivers of passenger vehicles to take less care and show less courtesy to motorcyclists than to those in other types of vehicles.
The amount of consideration and concern shown by drivers of passenger vehicles to motorcyclists traveling the streets throughout San Francisco can be woefully inadequate. Many passenger vehicle drivers fail to look for motorcycles before changing lanes, cut off motorcyclists, crowd them on the roadway or otherwise place motorcyclists at an increased risk of being injured in a Bay Area motorcycle accident. The tendency of many drivers of passenger vehicles not to exercise reasonable caution to avoid putting motorcyclists at risk is evidenced by the fact that 66 percent of all motorcycle accidents are caused by the failure of drivers to observe a motorcyclist’s right of way.
Because the small size of motorcycles allows them to be navigated in areas where passenger vehicle drivers do not expect them, motorcyclists are extremely vulnerable to collisions caused by motorists who never even see the bike. The lack of visibility of motorcycles means that passenger vehicle drivers frequently have less time to respond once they observe a motorcycle.
While the notion that most motorcyclists are members of biker gangs and similar inaccurate stereotypes are not based on fact, these stereotypes may mean that motorists in passenger vehicles may not exercise the same basic courtesy for those on bikes that they do for those transported in other motor vehicles. Examples of the types of hazards that may be created by insensitive drivers of passenger vehicles include:
- Moving into the space in a lane occupied by a motorcyclist
- Not respecting the rights of motorcyclists to occupy the full width of a lane
- Following a motorcyclists so closely that the bike is rear-ended in a collision
- Turning into the path of a motorcyclist
Contact Us
If you are injured in a San Francisco motorcycle collision, our experienced San Francisco motorcycle accident lawyers at Zimmerman Law may be able to help. If you or someone you love has been injured or a loved one has died in a San Francisco motorcycle accident, you should contact us as soon as possible because critical deadlines apply. We invite you to contact The Law Office of Ian Zimmerman for your free initial consultation. We are open 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., speak Cantonese and Mandarin Chinese, and are available for weekend, evening, home and hospital meetings and visits. We also offer free initial consultations and work exclusively on a contingency fee basis so that you pay nothing if we don’t win your case.