Study Helps Officials and Bikers Make Riding Safer
More than 35 years ago, Harry Hurt, a researcher at the University of Southern California, conducted an extensive study of nearly 4,000 motorcycle accidents in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. That study is still used today to teach motorcyclists about the potential risks on the road and the things they can do to make their time on the bike safer.
Some Basic Findings of the Hurt Study
Professor Hurt found that about three of every four motorcycle accidents involved a collision with another vehicle (almost always a passenger car), and the remainder were caused by a collision with some other object or loss of control of the bike. As a general rule, mechanical problems were not a meaningful factor in the accidents, accounting for less than 3% of the crashes.
Hurt found that, when the crash involved another vehicle, the driver of that vehicle was twice as likely to have violated posted right of way than the biker. The other driver was at fault in approximately 2/3rds of all motorcycle-car accidents, with the most common type of collision coming when an automobile operator makes a left turn into the path of a motorcyclist traveling straight. One of the most often-cited reasons for a collision involved the failure of the other driver to detect and recognize the presence of a motorcycle on the roadway.
In single bike accidents, the most frequent cause was operator error, usually the result of excessive speed, over-braking or taking a turn too wide.
Hurt found that the vast majority of motorcycle accidents happen on short trips along city streets, and that weather is rarely a factor in a motorcycle crash—about one in every 50 motorcycle crashes results from inclement weather.
Contact the Proven Personal Injury Attorneys at Weber & Nierenberg
At Weber & Nierenberg, we bring more than three decades of combined experience to injured people in California, representing clients who have been hurt in any kind of motorcycle accident. To set up a confidential consultation, contact Weber & Nierenberg by e-mail or call us at 1-866-288-6010. Your initial interview is without cost or obligation.
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