Staying safe during 'left-turn' accident season

For many transportation safety experts, summer is known as left-turn accident season. In essence, bikers and cyclists alike are uniquely vulnerable during the summer, because more motorists are consistently on the road. In addition to the volume of motorists on the road, motorists choose to drive while drunk, distracted, drowsy and aggravated more often at this time of year. When motorists engage in poor driving decisions, an increase in bicycle and motorcycle accidents almost inevitably occurs.

The reason that summer is not simply known as “accident season” but is known as “left-turn accident season” is fairly straightforward. When motorists make left-turns without properly looking to see who might be crossing the opposite intersection or who might be oncoming, bikers and cyclists get hit. Because cyclists and bikers are more difficult to see than oncoming cars, they tend to become the victims of this particular kind of accident.

A driver need not be texting or talking on his or her cellphone in order to be distracted enough to cause a left-turn accident. Oftentimes, drivers are simply thinking about other things and are not properly scanning their range of impact when these accidents occur. As a result, it is particularly critical that bikers and cyclists take precautions when riding this summer. It only takes a moment of relatively innocent distraction for these accidents to devastate those involved.

Please, before venturing out on your bike or motorcycle, make sure that you are wearing a helmet, reflective markers on your clothing and that you have both lights and some sort of horn on your bike or motorcycle. You need to be as visible as possible and to be able to get a distracted motorist’s attention in order to most effectively prevent left-turn collisions this season. If you are injured due to the negligence of another, an experienced personal injury attorney can advise you on your legal options. Call our office at 361-882-4357 for a free consultation.