Motorcycle Awareness Month, Time to Reduce Accidents

Miami Motorcycle Accident Attorney Joseph Lipsky reminds his fellow motorists that May is Motorcycle Awareness Month. The purpose of this designation is to remind all drivers that motorcycle riders have all the same rights as any other driver on the road. Having represented too many families who have lost loved ones in wrongful death accidents involving a motorcycle versus car or truck, we know too well what can happen when car and truck drivers don’t “share the road” with motorcyclists.

With the start of summer, which brings more riders out to enjoy the longer days, Fort Lauderdale personal injury attorney Joseph Lipsky, along with the American Motorcyclist Association, is making a profound plea to all drivers to be particularly conscience of motorcycle riders, by being sure to check your side and rear view mirrors and blind spots before changing lanes. While we hope this behavior is part of all drivers’ operation of their vehicles; too often in South Florida, motorists abruptly change lanes without any warning, putting other motorists, especially motorcycle riders, in danger. Incredibly, despite the continuous public relations campaigns, too many motorists continue to use their phones while they drive. Distracted driving is one of the most likely cited reasons why motorists fail to see motorcycle riders.

Many motorcycle riders understand the dangers associated with climbing on their bike, but to put those dangers into perspective, more than 4,000 riders lost their lives in motorcycle crashes last year. Not surprisingly, Florida had the third most such deaths. Those wrongful deaths accounted for almost 15 percent of all roadway traffic deaths. Of those killed, over ninety percent were men. Incredibly, alcohol use was involved in nearly 40% of all motorcycle crashes with a death. In addition to the fatalities, almost 10,000 riders and their passengers were injured in motorcycle crashes. Sadly, while vehicle related traffic deaths have steadily decreased, motorcycle fatalities have risen steadily over the past decade; and with over 600,000 registered motorcycles in Florida, it appears those number won’t be dropping soon.

South Florida has the state’s three deadliest counties with Miami-Dade coming in first, Broward 2^nd, and Palm Beach 3^rd, which is certainly not something to brag about. We certainly hope all motorists realize that motorcycle riders need our attention whenever we are behind the wheel, and that we turn the goal of Motorcycle Awareness Month into a year-long practice.