Reasons Motorcycle Accident Awareness In The Midwest Is Important

Last updated Thursday, October 6th, 2022

Did you know that according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, about 80% of all motorcycle accidents resulted in serious injuries or death to the rider? Even more sobering is the fact that from 2008 to 2017 there were 48,727 motorcycle accident fatalities. What does this mean for you if you are a rider? It means that motorcycle accident awareness to reduce your risk of serious injuries when riding should be a priority.

Further to this, the National Highway Traffic Safety (NHTSA) pointed out in 2019, that in most cases, when a car and a motorcycle collide, it’s usually the motorist who happens to be in the wrong.

For example, a driver might choose to violate the right of way of the motorcyclist and hence, cause an accident. A quick look at the motorcyclists fatally injured in some of the states in the Midwest shows that they are highly vulnerable while on the roads.

In 2016, according to the National Motorcycle Institute, the total number of fatalities in Illinois and Ohio was 155 and 199 respectively. The high number of motorcycle accidents from the statistics above shows that undoubtedly, there’s a dire need for motorcycle accident awareness in the Midwest.

Here’s why having motorcycle accident awareness in the Midwest is vitally important.

To Reduce The Number Of Motorcycle Accidents

Motorcycle accident awareness is a great initiative to help enhance the level of safety on the road. Every road user will admit that having safer roads can improve the well-being of society in a big way.

The number of motorcycle fatalities in the Midwest is a great concern that needs to be addressed with utmost urgency. Hence, by having a motorcycle accident awareness campaign, it is without a doubt that the number of motorcycle accidents can reduce significantly.

In most cases, motorists and riders lack adequate knowledge on how to conduct themselves while on the roads. That’s why having such awareness can help them understand how to maintain high standards of road safety.

Given that there are many motorcyclists in the Midwest today, there’s a need for them to be aware of road safety measures to reduce the number of accidents. For example, in 2017, Ohio had a total of 410,187 registered motorcycles while Illinois had 333, 943.

To Help Riders Know The Value Of Motorcycle Insurance

Motorcycle insurance is vital for motorcycle owners. Yes, owning a bike is a great thing. This is evidenced by the high number of registered motorcycles in the states of Ohio and Illinois.

However, without motorcycle insurance, riders face the risk of huge financial losses if they have an accident or their bike is stolen or damaged. This is where motorcycle accident awareness comes in.

Through this, motorcyclists are aware that accidents can happen anytime when they’re on the road. Therefore, the most important thing is to know how to handle themselves after an accident.

In the event of an accident, motorcycle insurance plays an imperative role in covering the damages and injuries that ensue. It’s expensive to handle the liabilities involved following a motorcycle accident.

Thus, it’s significant for riders in the Midwest to know that having motorcycle insurance can save them a great deal. Accident awareness helps motorcyclists understand that accidents are unexpected unfortunate events.

This is an encouragement for those who don’t have motorcycle insurance to get coverage. Plus, those with expired policies will be encouraged to renew them. This will allow them to have protection from the liabilities that might arise in the future.

To Raise Awareness About Motorcycle Accident Lawyers

Just like having motorcycle insurance, it’s equally essential to have a motorcycle accident lawyer to represent you in the event of an accident. Many motorcyclists might not be aware of the importance of having a lawyer to handle their case when involved in an accident.

Therefore, motorcycle accident awareness provides the best opportunity to gain adequate knowledge about this. Motorcyclists need to understand why they need a lawyer to handle their claims instead of facing the intricate legal processes involved without professional legal counsel.

Without a qualified motorcycle accident lawyer, it’s difficult to handle the complicated and highly demanding legal aspects that you’re likely to face if you’re in an accident.

It’s for this reason that awareness campaigns and programs are highly vital in the Midwest to inform riders of the importance of having a motorcycle accident lawyer.

As a rider, ensure that you find a highly qualified lawyer who can represent and advise you professionally. Better still, you can attend motorcycle accident awareness programs to network with experienced lawyers who can handle your case expertly.

To Promote Safer Riding Among Motorcyclists

Again, motorcycle accident awareness plays a vital role in promoting safer riding among motorcyclists. Safety on the road is a priority. Thus, through awareness campaigns, riders have the opportunity to learn skills that can help them become better riders.

They’re able to learn that they can be the primary contributors to promoting safety on the roads. Especially, if they maintain the procedures and regulations expected of them. For example, wearing a helmet for a motorcyclist is vital in keeping one safe in the event of an accident.

Also, avoiding speeding is also significant for any motorcyclist since speeding is a leading cause of motorcycle accidents. Basically, motorcycle hazards are many. Therefore, it’s through attending awareness programs, that riders get the opportunity to learn more about them and how to avoid them.

Therefore, equipping motorcyclists with the skills required to promote safety when riding goes a long way in saving lives.

How To Keep Your Motorcycle Accident Free In The Midwest

Whether you’re a new or seasoned rider, you have a responsibility to maintain a high standard of safety for yourself alongside other road users. Therefore, it’s highly advisable to take the necessary safety measures to reduce the likelihood of being involved in a motorcycle accident.

The following tips are vital in helping to keep your motorcycle accident free.

You Should Never Ride Without A Helmet

Whenever there’s a motorcycle accident, head injuries are one of the most common types of injuries. Your head contains your brain which is vulnerable to significant impacts. This means that your head is put at tremendous risk when you’re in a motorcycle accident.

Furthermore, in the event of a serious accident, you could suffer a skull fracture, brain damage, or even death due to injuries to your brain. However, there’s an easy solution to this problem and that is to always wear a motorcycle helmet when you’re riding.

When looking at different ways to protect yourself from injury during an accident, a helmet is by far, the best equipment you can buy. How effective are helmets at preventing riders from being killed in an accident? In 2016 the NHTSA stated that wearing a helmet prevented 1,850 deaths and that another 800 more would have been prevented if riders were wearing their helmets.

The biggest threat of an accident is the fact that it’s nothing you can anticipate. You don’t get on your bike one morning and think that today you’ll get into an accident. While you may not be able to prevent an accident, taking precautions can help to protect you if you are ever in one.

Therefore, the simple act of wearing a helmet is all that it takes to greatly reduce your risk of a serious head injury or even death, during a motorcycle accident.

You Should Always Wear Gloves When Riding

If you ever fall and have even a minor accident when riding your motorcycle, there’s a good chance that you’ll hit your hands and injure them. Whether you’re new to riding or have been doing it for years, falling down is something that happens frequently.

Therefore, if you want to avoid bruising your hands when a fall does happen, simply wearing gloves can go a long way to preventing injuries.

How often should you wear protective gloves when you’re riding? Every time you ride. Remember, you can’t predict when an accident will happen but you can prepare yourself for when it does.

Think about this. What’s the first thing you do when you fall? You reach out toward the ground to catch yourself. Furthermore, if you’re on a motorcycle, you’ll probably fall much harder than you would if you were simply walking.

This means that your hands are at significant risk of being injured. So, be smart. Get a pair of quality riding gloves to help protect your hands.

Protective Clothing Is A Necessity

If you make the mistake of not wearing protective clothing when you ride, you’re running the risk of suffering some serious injuries if you have an accident. Do you really want to wait until after an accident to realize that you should’ve been wearing protective clothing? Or, do you want to be proactive and buy protective clothing now?

What kind of injuries are common when you have a motorcycle accident and aren’t wearing protective clothing? Road rash is probably the first thing that comes to mind.

If you fall when on your bike, any exposed skin is going to be scraped against the road and other rough surfaces. This is going to cause serious bruises and abrasions resulting in road rash.

Fortunately, by wearing protective clothing you can either prevent road rash entirely or greatly reduce the extent of your injuries. Therefore, because of the severe nature of road rash, you should never ride without wearing protective clothing.

The type of protective clothing that you should wear includes riding jackets, pants, and vests in addition to a helmet and gloves.

Help Prevent An Accident By Using Headlights And Highly Visible Clothing

One of the best ways to prevent injuries suffered in a motorcycle accident is to not have an accident in the first place! Many of the more common types of accidents could be prevented if riders made it a priority to increase their visibility on the road.

Did you know that in many cases, drivers have admitted after an accident that they never even saw the motorcycle or rider that they hit? The point here is a simple one. Invest in items that will increase your visibility when you’re riding and you’ll reduce your risk of an accident.

When riding at night always use your headlights. This is a simple thing that you should be doing so that you can see where you’re going and so other drivers can see you.

You should also be wearing a bright and highly visible jacket when riding. Bright colors are easier to see, so wearing them makes it easier for other drivers to see you. What colors are best? Bright yellow, red, orange, or green work well.

Elbow And Knee Pads Are Invaluable If You Fall

Elbow and knee pads are very important pieces of equipment that every rider should be wearing. If you have an accident, you’re almost certainly going to hit the ground. And, if you hit the ground, you’ll probably hit your knees or elbows which could injure your joints.

A severe injury to your arm or leg can result in nerve damage which can lead to serious long-term problems.

Rather than risk this type of injury, the smart move is to always wear knee and elbow pads when riding. Always remember, that most motorcycle accident injuries are preventable. Of course, if you are wearing the right protective gear.

Never Drink And Ride Your Motorcycle

It is unfortunate that more than 40% of motorcyclists who die in crashes are usually under the influence of alcohol. This reveals how dangerous it is to drink and then get on your bike.

This can cause a risk of injury to yourself and irreversible consequences such as death.

Riding under the influence of alcohol or any other drug makes it difficult for a rider to maintain the level of alertness one needs to have when on the road. These substances interfere with your ability to focus on the road and see clearly.

Therefore, the risk of causing motorcycle accidents increases greatly when you drink and subsequently operate your motorcycle. It’s impossible to keep your motorcycle accident free if you have a habit of consuming alcohol before operating it.

Consequently, you’re at a higher risk of running off the road when you ride under the influence of alcohol. In addition to this, there are many hazards to having your motorcycle go off-road.

For example, you risk running into trees or parked vehicles which can lead to serious injuries and in more severe cases, death. Thus, maintaining a state of sobriety while riding will ensure you ride safely and avoid any chances of having an accident.

Be Careful When Riding In Bad Weather Conditions

To keep your motorcycle accident-free, adverse weather conditions are a huge and hazardous risk you should avoid. Seasons of bad weather are tough on motorcyclists because they make it difficult for them to operate their bikes safely.

A large number of motorcycle accidents are caused by adverse weather conditions, thus prompting riders to exercise extra caution when riding in such conditions. Therefore, it’s important that you take the necessary precautions when riding in bad weather conditions.

In the Midwest, some of the toughest conditions to be cautious of when riding are heavy rains and strong winds. In fact, you should be well versed in how to ride safely in these types of conditions.

For instance, you should be careful when riding during heavy rain due to the slipperiness of the road. Thus, when riding during bad weather conditions you should exercise extra vigilance to ensure you and your motorcycle remain accident-free.

Take Safety Courses

Enrolling in motorcycle safety courses is vital if you want to reduce your likelihood of being involved in an accident. This will allow you to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to operate your bike safely.

Therefore, if you decide to take a motorcycle safety course you’ll learn about motorcycle traffic rules that you must adhere to. This will go a long way in helping you stay safe.

Additionally, enrolling in a safety training course will provide you with an opportunity to learn the laws of the state in regard to motorcycle riding. This will help you prevent an accident.

Therefore, consider joining an institution of your choice to increase your knowledge and skills on safe riding, You can locate a reputable motorcycle training institution within your local area.

Avoid Riding At High Speeds

One of the significant causes of motorcycle accidents today is speeding. Keeping your motorcycle accident free will prove difficult if you form the habit of speeding on busy roads.

Although riding at high speed is an exciting experience for many riders, it’s extremely dangerous if you’re riding on a busy roadway. Therefore, it’s highly advisable to ride at a reasonable speed to avoid the likelihood of being involved in a motorcycle accident.

Moreover, a crash or fall as a result of speeding can lead to serious or even fatal injuries, In this respect, you must always learn to control your speed when riding on busy roadways and on slippery road surfaces.

Effective Maintenance Of Your Motorcycle

The regular maintenance of your motorcycle plays a vital role in avoiding motorcycle accidents. An important safety tip you should always adhere to is ensuring you crosscheck all the parts of your bike thoroughly to make sure that they’re in good condition before setting off.

Like any other piece of machinery, your motorcycle is subject to wear and tear in particular areas. Therefore, it’s highly advisable to consistently check the major parts of your bike. These include lights, tires, and braking systems. This will ensure they are in good working order.

Routine maintenance of your bike will ensure that you detect and correct any problems early. This will ensure that you avoid an accident wherever possible. If you’re successful in maintaining your bike well enough, you’ll be able to keep it accident-free.

Understanding Motorcycle Accident Recovery And Compensation Laws

To begin with, the recovery process from a motorcycle accident has an impact on the compensation that you should receive.

As you go through treatment for the injuries sustained in an accident, you can calculate the amount of compensation you need. Therefore, compensation laws are important to the parties involved in an accident.

Therefore, it’s imperative to ensure that one gets full value for the injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident. This calls for one to develop a good understanding of motorcycle accident recovery and compensation laws.

Here are fundamental things that you need to be aware of in relation to motorcycle accident recovery and compensation laws.

Seeking Medical Attention

Seeking medical attention is a major step toward one’s motorcycle accident recovery process. After being in an accident, it’s prudent to see a doctor as soon as possible. This will allow you to get the required treatment for the injuries sustained.

Make sure you follow the directions of your doctor carefully. This will contribute greatly to your physical recovery as well as your financial recovery.

Your accident recovery process is vital. This is considering that your insurance company will be looking for any clue to suggest that you did something to make your injury worse. Or. that your injury was not as bad as you presented.

By following exactly what the doctor says, you’ll eliminate any avenues that your insurance company might use to ensure that you get little or no compensation for your injuries. For this reason, make sure that you get the recommended treatment to ensure that you get compensated fairly.

Finding A Good Lawyer

Understanding the compensation laws involved in your case requires you to find a qualified and experienced lawyer able to handle your case in a professional manner. The people who choose to get a lawyer to represent them in their accident cases get fairer compensation.

Again, having a good lawyer to work with you throughout the process gives you a great opportunity to have a quality accident recovery process. The injuries that you sustain in an accident can be so severe that it becomes difficult to take care of other things related to your case.

Thus, you should concentrate on having a good recovery as your lawyer addresses any issues regarding your claim. Remember, your insurance company may try to make sure that you get less money.

Therefore, you have to make sure that you don’t give them the opportunity to take advantage of your situation by giving you less compensation than you deserve. For this reason, you’ll need to find a lawyer with expertise in cases like yours. He or she will give you the representation you need to get fair compensation.

Filing A Claim

After getting medical attention and finding a lawyer, you’ll need to follow up on your claim. This will ensure that you get fully compensated for the injuries and damages you sustained in the accident.

Filing a claim to receive compensation is a part of the process leading to compensation after a motorcycle accident. The legal requirements of compensation are that you should file a claim and present valid and legal documentation. This should show that you should be compensated for the injuries and damage sustained in an accident.

At this point, you know very well that part of your accident recovery is receiving fair compensation. You’ll need financial resources to take care of the medical expenses that you incur after being in an accident.

Therefore, as you file a claim, you need to present any relevant documents or paperwork from your doctor. This should show the magnitude of your injuries from the motorcycle accident. Ensure that you keep all the medical bills and directions from your doctor. Therefore, you can present them to your insurance company.

A successful claim means that you need all the documents that will assist you in receiving fair compensation from your insurance company. Your lawyer will help you in this process since lawyers understand compensation laws better.

Receiving Compensation

Conclusion