A motorcyclist and his passenger were both injured after failure to properly negotiate a turn in the road.
Earlier this year, two people were injured in a motorcycle crash in Joplin when the driver failed to properly negotiate a turn and overturned his bike. Fortunately, both riders suffered only moderate injuries.
A Leading Cause of Motorcycle Accidents
Turns can be tricky on a motorcycle. Failing to negotiate a turn correctly is one of the leading causes of single vehicle motorcycle crashes. Navigating around a curve or a sharp turn can be problematic for bikers if they take the turn too fast or are unfamiliar with how sharp or winding it is. Taking a turn too fast on a bike can easily cause an accident, and it is especially important to remember this in the winter when roads may be slippery due to ice or snow. These driving conditions are dangerous enough for drivers in automobiles, but on a motorcycle, a rider has no protection and even a minor accident can be fatal or can cause catastrophic injuries.
Slow Down
Be wary of any turns your are unfamiliar with. A turn may start out loose and then suddenly tighten up. If you are not expecting this and do not react quickly enough you may crash. During the winter, plan on roads being slippery; be prepared and act accordingly. Usually this means slowing down and giving yourself more time. Going too fast around a turn where you cannot see very far in front of you could also lead to an accident if there is snow, dirt, a pothole, debris, or anything else in the road. If a bike wheel drives over something, it may lose traction and you can quickly lose control of your bike.
Proper Training and Preparation
It is very important that motorcyclists have the proper training and preparation before heading out onto the roads. Bikers need to know how to use surrounding signals such as line markings, telephone poles, or tree lines to judge the direction of a turn. Slowing down is one of the safest ways to ensure that you will make it around the bend without laying your bike down. Once you are going around the turn and your bike is not completely upright, braking can be too dangerous.
Motorcycle Accident Attorneys
Even the most prepared motorcyclist may be involved in a motorcycle accident at some point. In addition to turns, there are many other situations that can easily cause a crash. Many of these situations involve other drivers behaving recklessly or not seeing the motorcyclist. If you or a loved one has been injured in a motorcycle accident, it may be in your best interest to contact a Missouri motorcycle accident attorney as soon as possible.
