Perry Motorcycle Accident Injury Attorneys

In the event of a tragedy, motorcycle injury attorneys become committed defenders for riders. Their specialization in motorcycle accidents equips them to navigate legal challenges and ensure justice and compensation for the injured.

Motorcycle Safety Tips to Be More Visible on Your Bike in Iowa

In addition to paying attention to one’s surroundings when on a motorcycle, a motorcyclist’s visibility to other motorists is essential for safety and protection while riding. It can be key to avoiding an accident. If you’re a motorcyclist in Iowa, here are some motorcycle safety tips for making yourself more visible.

Wear Bright Colors

While the cliché look for motorcyclists involves black leather, dark colors can be hard to see and don’t increase your visibility. Try to wear something bright, as doing so will improve the ease with which other drivers can see you. Wearing something bright is especially important at night when visibility is particularly poor.

Consider Reflective Gear

If you can’t bring yourself to wear a neon jacket while riding, reflective gear and/or reflective tape can help do the trick. You can add reflective tape to your bike, your helmet, and/or the back of a jacket to increase your visibility and decrease the chance of an accident.

Avoid Cars’ Blind Spots

Always avoid riding in a car’s “no zone,” or blind spot. These blind spots are usually on the passenger side of the vehicle, but larger cars may have larger blind spots, especially trucks. Know where these blind spots are located and always pass other vehicles quickly and safely. Avoid lingering next to another vehicle.

Use Your Lights

Iowa law requires motorcyclists to have at least one lighted headlamp for any motorcycle that’s a 1977 model or later, according to Iowa Code Section 321.275(5). Not only does a headlight help to increase a motorcyclist’s ability to see what’s directly in front of them, it also helps the motorcyclist be more visible to other drivers.

Use Your Horn

While the use of a horn can be aggressive in some situations, it can also be an effective way to let a driver know that you’re there so they can avoid striking you. This can give you and your motorcycle some much-needed attention.

Tips to Avoid Some of the Most Common Motorcycle Accidents

Many motorcycle accidents are avoidable if the rider is knowledgeable about good riding techniques and safety measures. Here are eight common motorcycle crashes and how they can be prevented.

Drinking and Driving

According to the 1981 Hurt Report, the largest study ever conducted on motorcycle accident causation, alcohol is a factor in 50 percent of all bike wrecks. This is obviously preventable.

How to Avoid It: Don’t drink and ride. Alcohol affects skills fundamental to riding a motorcycle, such as balance and coordination. Thus, drinking alcohol while riding plays a particularly big role in motorcycle accident deaths.

A Car Turns Left in Front of You

This is the most common motorcycle accident. A car doesn't see you or thinks you are going a different speed and turns in front of you at an intersection.

How to Avoid It: Look for signs that someone may turn in front of you, such as a car at an intersection waiting to turn or a gap in traffic near an intersection, driveway, or parking lot. Slow down, cover your brakes, and be ready to take evasive action. Never “lay the bike down.” Instead, shed as much speed as possible before impact, keeping the bike upright and using both brakes.

You Hit Gravel in a Blind Corner

You’re out riding your motorcycle on curvy country roads when you come around a corner and hit a patch of sand or gravel. You lose control of the bike and wreck.

How to Avoid It: Ride at a pace where your reaction time and ability to take action match your range of vision. On winding roads, follow the rule “Slow In, Fast Out.” Enter corners wide to increase your vision and enter at an easy pace. You can pick up speed on the way out once you can see all the way through.

You Entered a Corner Too Fast

When riding your motorcycle, you might enter a corner too fast and realize you are not going to make the corner as it tightens.

How to Avoid It: Ride only as fast as you can see and use visual clues like telephone poles and signs to judge a road’s direction. If you do find yourself going too fast on a corner, trust the bike and try to ride it out. Hang off, look where you want to go, and be smooth on the controls. Remaining calm and trying to ride through the corner is better than attempting to stop the bike.

A Car Changes Lanes into You

While riding your bike on a multi-lane road, a car in another lane might suddenly swerve into your lane without seeing you.

How to Avoid It: Stay out of other drivers' blind spots. If you can't see the driver in their mirror, they probably can't see you. Watch for cues that a car is going to change lanes, such as turn signals, wheels turning, swerving in the lane, or the driver checking mirrors.

A Car Hits You from Behind

You are stopped at an intersection and the car behind you doesn't see you and runs into the back of your motorcycle.

How to Avoid It: Stop to the side rather than in the center of a lane, flash your brake light rapidly by tapping the brake lever, and keep the bike in gear with your right hand on the throttle in case you need to move quickly. Pay attention to what’s behind you so you can move to avoid the car if necessary.

Your Riding Buddies Are Careless

A group ride can turn dangerous if one person stops suddenly and another rider hits them from behind.

How to Avoid It: Ensure everyone is aware of proper group riding etiquette and rides in a staggered formation. This increases vision and moves bikes out of line with each other so a temporary lapse in attention won't cause a wreck.

You Locked Up the Front Brake

You have to stop quickly due to traffic and you grab the front brake in a panic.

How to Avoid It: Learn to use your front brake. The front brake is the most powerful and difficult-to-master component on your motorcycle. Practice using it in a big, empty parking lot. Start braking at a certain mark from a set speed and repeat until you’ve reduced your braking distance as much as possible. Gradually increase your speed and practice until you can reliably use the maximum braking ability of your motorcycle safely.

What to Do if in a Motorcycle Accident in Iowa

If, despite taking precautionary measures, you are in an accident, the first thing you should do is seek medical attention. Sometimes serious injuries may not reveal themselves immediately after impact. Adrenaline can mask pain, and issues such as internal bleeding, concussions, or hairline fractures can occur even if there is little or no visible damage to the motorcycle or other vehicles. Requesting an x-ray, CT scan, or MRI is an easy way to rule out bigger problems and start a treatment regimen before any permanent damage is done. Pain can present itself hours or even a day later, so it’s helpful to anticipate discomfort by getting a doctor’s instructions on how to manage soreness.

Consulting a Motorcycle Accident Attorney

The toll from severe motorcycle injuries can encompass substantial medical expenses and long-term care costs for victims and their families. Lost wages may compound matters, especially if employment becomes unrealistic for an extended period. Getting help from a motorcycle accident attorney allows the pursuit of comprehensive compensation, from financial damages and emotional distress such as pain and suffering.

Victims of these accidents should seek consultation with a motorcycle accident attorney, as damages may be extensive and recovery of compensation is important.

At Walker, Billingsley & Bair, our motorcycle accident attorneys can represent you in dealings with your insurance company, or when filing a personal injury claim. Set up your consultation now by calling 641-792-3595.