Attorney Shares Information on Motorcycle Safety
The month of May is recognized across the country as national Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. The attorneys at Callaway & Wolf appreciate the importance of sharing information about these issues, having worked with many residents and their families who have been hurt in motorcycle crashes.
Most residents are aware of the increased risk of injury and death faced by those who ride motorcycles. Even after a decline in recent years, statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration suggests that motorcyclists are 39 times more likely to be killed in an accident that those in a car. There are a wide range of causes for the increased dangers, some related to reckless conduct on the riders part and many others a result of inappropriate conduct by those sharing the road with motorcycles.
Focus on Lane Splitting
As a kick-off to the safety month, many local traffic safety organizations are trying to start a conversation about the practice of “lane splitting”—when riders travel between lanes with cars on both sides. California is the only state in the country that technically allows the practice. While legal, the practice comes with very significant risks, and so it is important for both motorcyclists and car drivers to act appropriately to keep safe on the road.
There is much confusion about lane splitting. For example, a recent survey found that more than half of all California drivers thought that lane splitting was illegal. Amazingly, nearly 7% of drivers admitted to intentionally trying to block motorcycles as they were traveling between lanes—a reckless and incredibly dangerous practice.
No California state law directly deals with lane splitting. All other states either have a law that specifically bans splitting, or interpret a more general safety law to cite lane splitters. However, as a recent Chicago Tribune article explained, California police officers have noted that the practice is appropriate when done carefully and at moderate speeds. For example, lane splitting may be reasonable when there are not dangerous road conditions (like rain or snow) and traffic is moving slower than usual—perhaps 45mph instead of 65 mph. At the end of the day, there are no automatic rules. Each situation must be evaluated on a case-by-case nature to determine whether the practice of lane-splitting it safe. Interestingly, virtually all European countries, England, and Japan permit splitting.
One California Highway Patrol officer who works on a motorcycle admitted that he himself engages in the practice, but he tries to do so safely at all times. He noted, “You definitely have to be aware of traffic patterns: speed of traffic, people making lane changes, stop-go-traffic, etc.”
San Francisco Motorcycle Accident Legal Help
Motorcycle riders in our area are injured in preventable accidents on a seemingly daily basis. In many instances, the injury was caused in full or in part by the misconduct of others on the road. Unfortunately, each motorcycle accident lawyer at our firm knows that confusion reigns about safely sharing the road with motorcycles—as the issues of lane splitting makes clear. As a result, it is imperative that those hurt in this way have an advocate on their side that is familiar with all of the relevant legal issues
The experienced legal professionals at Callaway & Wolf have been helping local residents in San Francisco, Oakland, and in surrounding areas for over 25 years. Be sure to take a moment and call us at 415-541-0300 or send a message to explain your situation. There is nothing to lose from visiting with an attorney and seeing how the law might apply in your case.
Boone Callaway is a personal injury & medical malpractice lawyer in San Francisco who has been working with clients in the Bay Area for over 25 years. Mr. Callaway is one of only a few personal injury litigators in San Francisco who is a Super Lawyer, AV Rated and is also a member of ABOTA – American Board of Trial Advocates.
