NTSB lists ways to enhance motorcycle safety

The National Transportation Safety Board has a report out that should be of interest to both drivers and motorcyclists in South Carolina. After studying federal crash data, the agency found that many high-risk traffic situations between the two could be avoided if drivers were better able to detect motorcyclists when entering a road, crossing it or changing lanes. It’s especially important to prevent accidents where vehicles turn left in front of a motorcycle.

The NTSB states that while crash warning and prevention systems in passenger vehicles can help make motorcycles more conspicuous, not all systems are designed to detect or integrate motorcycles. As for motorcyclists, they could benefit from antilock braking when faced with unexpected circumstances.

Stability control systems, the report continues, can reduce a loss of traction on the road and so help prevent single-vehicle crashes among motorcyclists. This means fewer incidents where motorcyclists are killed or injured by impact with fixed roadside objects.

The NTSB, therefore, recommends the integration of motorcycles into all crash warning and prevention systems, the mandating that all motorcycles intended for road use in the U.S. have antilock brakes and the development of performance standards for stability control systems. These are just 3 of 10 recommendations made in the report. It also stresses the need for research into how alcohol and drug use affect crash risk.

If someone gets in a motorcycle crash because of drivers’ negligence, he or she may be able to file a claim against that person’s auto insurance company. It might be a good idea to hire a lawyer, though, since insurance companies will have their own legal team ready to deny the claim or suggest a low settlement offer. The lawyer may opt to hire investigators to find proof of negligence, which could range from phone records to camera footage or eyewitness testimony, before proceeding to negotiations.