Motorcycle accidents happen for a variety of reasons, and it is rarely the fault of the rider. However, since motorcyclists are automatically given a reputation for being wild and dangerous, they often take the blame. Motorcycle accidents are much more popular for discussion than the millions of car accidents that happen every day, and many people have the wrong mentality about them.
Motorcycle accidents are much more dangerous and a hotter topic of discussion because there is no car, seat belt, or airbag to protect motorcyclists like there are for those who are in vehicle accidents. Even those who wear helmets can still be injured or die in motorcycle accidents. Also, while many people think that motorcyclists speed too much and cause accidents, many motorcycle deaths actually occur at relatively low speeds, and at no fault of the rider.
Its really sad, I think, when you consider how often the motorcyclist is blamed for accidents when they aren’t at fault, simply because of their reputation. It doesn’t matter if a car fails to see a motorcycle and hits it, or if a driver of a vehicle is drinking and driving when the accident occurs, because the fault is almost always placed on the motorcyclist.
Drivers today are far too comfortable in their cars. They chat on cell phones, text message their friends, do their makeup, eat, and anything else they can accomplish while driving because their schedule is so jam-packed. When they do this, they quit paying attention to the road, making it that much more likely that they’re going to cause a motorcycle accident because they don’t see the motorcycle in time.
One more instance where motorcyclists aren’t at fault for motorcycle accidents is in defect-related accidents. People might assume that the rider is to blame, even when something mechanically goes wrong, but why doesn’t anyone blame a car driver for their car malfunctioning? Even if you take really good care of your bike, you cant prevent every accident, although many ignorant people might say otherwise.
Since this social stigma exists, motorcyclists have to be extra-careful when they’re riding. If the drivers aren’t going to pay attention, someone has to. I think that its really sad that riders cant just enjoy the ride because they have to watch out for everyone else, but when you make it home safe at the end of the day, its definitely worth it.