Skilled Motorcycle Accident Attorneys in Orange County

Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents 

Like any other vehicle accident, motorcycle collisions happen instantaneously, leaving victims little time to react defensively. Motorcycle accidents are so dangerous because motorcyclists and their passengers do not have the same level of protection as those traveling in an enclosed vehicle. 

Understanding the common causes and types of motorcycle accidents can increase awareness of motorcyclists on the road and help prevent collisions. 

The common causes of motorcycle accidents include: 

Head-On Collisions

The vast majority of motorcycle fatalities occur during head-on collisions with another vehicle, as referenced in a 2019 NHTSA Report. Specifically, 76% of fatal motorcycle crashes involving two vehicles were head-on collisions, compared to 7% of motorcycle fatalities resulting from rear-end collisions. 

These head-on collisions (also called frontal crashes) can cause very serious injuries for motorcyclists because passenger vehicles are usually quadruple the weight of motorcycles. This weight differential means motorcyclists bear most of the force upon impact when the two vehicles collide.  

Left-Hand Turns

Most fatal motorcycle crashes involving another vehicle occur when the vehicle is attempting to execute a left-hand turn. According to the NHTSA, this was the case in almost half of the 2,495 motorcycle fatalities in 2019. In these situations, the vehicle driver often either does not see the motorcycle approaching or misjudges the speed and/or distance of the approaching motorcycle. However, passenger vehicle drivers are not always the at-fault party in left-hand turn crashes. Motorcyclists could bear partial liability for these crashes if they did not follow traffic laws at the time of the accident, such as speeding or running a red light. 

Lane Splitting

Lane splitting involves a motorcycle straddling two lanes of traffic heading in the same direction. Although lane splitting is illegal throughout most of the United States, it was officially legalized in California in 2017 to alleviate traffic issues in the state. 

Lane splitting can be particularly dangerous on any of the heavily trafficked major freeways in the greater Los Angeles area, such as the I-5 Santa Ana Freeway, the I-405 San Diego Freeway, the I-10 Santa Monica Freeway, the I-110 Harbor Freeway, and U.S. Route 101, also known as the Hollywood Freeway. 

Vehicle Lane Changes

Accidents between motorcycles and other vehicles often happen when a motorist does not see a motorcyclist in their blind spot and initiates a lane change. 

Rear-End Collisions

Rear-end accidents occur when one vehicle does not come to a complete stop and collides with the vehicle in front of it. Although head-on collisions cause significantly more motorcycle fatalities than rear-end collisions do, motorcyclists can still sustain serious injuries when involved in a rear-end collision. This is because motorcyclists and their passengers are relatively unprotected compared to those traveling in an enclosed vehicle.   

Road Hazards

Cities, counties, and states are responsible to their citizens to maintain roadways as a matter of public safety. When they fail to do so, hazardous road conditions may develop, such as debris or other obstacles in the road, uneven lanes, or potholes. Road hazards such as these can be deadly to motorcyclists since they are not traveling in an enclosed vehicle.