Atlantic City motorcycle accidents happen in all kinds of ways.
Some common causes include:
- Driving a car or truck under the influence. Driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs can lead to deadly accidents, as well as criminal and civil and liability. Alcohol and drug use is a factor in many motor vehicle accidents, and drunk drivers put motorcyclists at extreme risk of harm.
- Speeding. A driver who speeds has time to see and react to motorcyclists than a driver operating at a safe speed. In general, the higher the speed of a collision between a car or truck and a motorcycle, the more severe the injuries to the motorcyclist.
- Left-turn accidents. Approximately 42 percent of all accidents involving a motorcycle and a car happen when cars make left-hand turns into the path of a motorcycle. Usually, the car hits the motorcycle when the motorcycle is passing the car, trying to overtake the car, or traveling through an intersection.
- Unsafe lane changes. Motorcycles are smaller than most other vehicles, and can disappear in car and truck blind spots. A driver who fails to check their blind spots for motorcyclists risks changing lanes into a motorcycle’s path, causing an accident.
- Car doors. Motorcyclists are frequently victims of “dooring.” This happens when a driver in a parked car opens a door directly into the path of a motorcycle approaching the car from behind, resulting in a potentially fatal collision between the motorcycle and the door.
- Sudden stops. Drivers often fail to appreciate that motorcycles can brake and stop much more quickly than cars or trucks. Motorcyclists also often downshift, rather than squeeze the brakes, to slow down. Drivers who follow motorcyclists too close risk a rear-end collision with a motorcycle in these situations.
- Motorcycle defects. A defect in the motorcycle or a motorcycle part can cause a sudden, unexpected mechanical failure, resulting in a deadly accident.