Wednesday, March 10th, 2010
With spring just around the corner, motorcycle enthusiasts are gearing up to get back out on the road. For anyone that loves to ride, there is nothing like getting back on your bike after a long winter spent waiting for the weather to break. Of course, if you are lucky enough to live somewhere where the weather cooperates year around, then maybe you haven’t had to wait, but the majority of us aren’t that lucky. Even in California, the torrential winter rains this year have prevented year around riding for many motorcycle enthusiasts so many have had to wait it out until spring decided to pop her head out of the clouds. For some, riding is a way of life, for others just a week-end hobby. Regardless of whether your bike is your primary form of transportation or a week-end luxury, remember that it can be dangerous.
Recent statistics report that in any given year, about 5,000 people are killed in motorcycle accidents and thousands more are injured, according to motorcycle accident attorney Emery Ledger of Ledger & Associates in California. The cause of the majority (almost three-fourths) of motorcycle accident is a collision with another vehicle. Of the remaining 25% of the accidents, rider error was the most common reason for the accident. Roadway defects and weather conditions account for less than 5% of all motorcycle accidents. Of the accidents that involved a motorcycle colliding with another vehicle, the other vehicle was at fault more than two-thirds of the time. What these statistics tell us is what most riders already know – that cars don’t watch for motorcycles on the roadways. Despite efforts by motorcycle groups to educate the general car driving public of the importance of being aware of motorcycles, the statistics tell us that car drivers still don’t watch for motorcycles. Part of the reason for this is that we are trained from the moment we begin driving to be alert to visual cues from other drivers – drivers of automobiles. We are trained to look for traditional vehicles. We are also accustomed to watching for a pair of headlights to tell us that a vehicle is approaching or is in our path. The human brain can only take in so much information at a time and it tends to dismiss excess information if it feels it is not critical at that point and time. When we are driving, we are taking in a lot of information at one time – information that is critical to our ability to drive. If a single headlight enters our field of vision, we sometimes dismiss it as not critical because we are not trained to recognize it as a vehicle. Additionally, something smaller than a traditional car – like a motorcycle – sometimes gets filtered out when we are driving. For this reason, it is even more important that car drivers conscientiously make an effort to look for and beware of motorcycle riders.
For more information motorcycle safety, please feel free to contact motorcycle accident attorney Emery Ledger of Ledger & Associates on his website at www.ledgerlaw.com or at his toll-free number – 1-800-300-0001.
Tags: bikers, cars, fault, field of vision, killed, law, Ledger, luck, motorcycle accident, motorcycle accident attorney, motorcycle accidents, motorcycle enthusiasts, motorcycle groups, Motorcycle safety, motorcycles, roadways, safety, statistics, vehicle, weather
Posted in Motorcycle Accident Lawyer | No Comments »
Monday, February 8th, 2010
If you have spent any time on the nation’s highways, you have certainly seen your share of double and even triple trailer trucks. Officially known as Longer Combination Vehicles (LCVs) they can be found in four basic forms. The first is known as a Rocky Mountain Double and consists of a tractor pulling a full-size semi-trailer (48 feet in length) plus a smaller trailer (28 feet in length). A Turnpike Double consists of a tractor pulling two 48 foot trailers. The B-Train Double consists of a tractor pulling two 48 foot trailers linked together by a fifth wheel. Lastly, a Triple Trailer combination consists of a tractor pulling three 28 foot trailers. Most states restrict the operation of these combination trailers due in large part to the safety concerns associated with them. If you have ever seen one of these, you can’t help but wonder whether they are safe.
Large trucks account for only about 3 % of all registered vehicles on the road, yet are responsible for 12% of all traffic fatalities. Not surprisingly, statistics show that of all the large trucks involved in fatal accidents, a staggering 76% were combination trucks. That means that a combination truck is three times more likely to be involved in a fatal accident than a single unit truck. The reason that these type of tractor – trailers are so dangerous is that they can become difficult, if not impossible, to control very quickly. A relatively small tractor steering movement -for example a lane-change maneuver – can be magnified greatly by the time it reaches the second trailer. What began as a simple maneuver can cause the driver to loose control of the truck and trailers in just seconds. This loss of control can result in exaggerated sway and ultimately lead to a rollover before the driver can do anything to prevent it. While a regular tractor – trailer can carry a maximum weight of anywhere from 80,000 to 100,000 pounds, a combination trailer can be carrying up to 147,000 pounds. Given the fact that the average car weighs around 4,000 pounds, it is not difficult to understand why a collision with one of these behemoths is so likely to result in serious injury or death. The playing field is far from even.
Despite all of the safety concerns, it appears as though these road giants will be traveling the nation’s highways for the foreseeable future. If you encounter one while traveling, make sure you give it plenty of room to maneuver and make sure you are within his field of vision. If you have been involved in an accident with one of these combination trucks, you may be entitled to compensation for any injuries you have suffered as a result of the accident. Only an experienced California truck accident attorney can evaluate your particular case and answer all your questions.
If you would like to speak to an experienced California truck accident attorney about evaluating your case, contact the law offices of Ledger & Associates at 1-800-300-0001 or visit us at www.ledgerlaw.com
Tags: accident, accident attorney, accident lawyer, accidents, attorney, combination vehicles, fatal accidents, field of vision, fifth wheel, loose control, maneuver, maximum weight, safety, semi trailer, single unit, statistics, sway, tractor trailer, tractor trailers, traffic fatalities, trailer 48, trailer combination, trailer trucks, truck accident, truck accident attorney, truck accident lawyer
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Friday, February 5th, 2010
If you were a victim of an
auto accident that happened in the fog read on:
Most of us have had to drive in the fog at some point in our life. It is a creepy experience to say the least. Most people, however, underestimate the dangers of driving in foggy conditions. Fog is formed when the difference between the temperature and the dew point is less than 4 degrees Fahrenheit. In simple terms, fog is created when clouds touch the ground. The dangers of driving in fog were tragically illustrated on January 9, 2008 when a 70 vehicle pile-up occurred on Florida’s Interstate 4. Three people were killed and dozens injured under what appeared to be a blanket of fog stretching for miles down the interstate. Bystanders said it looked like a war zone inside the fog. So why is fog so dangerous and what can we do to lower the chances of an accident in foggy conditions?
One obvious danger of driving in the fog is lowered visibility. We simply can’t see as far ahead as we normally can. Fog also contributes to accidents because it affects perceptual judgments of speed and distance. Fog lowers the contrast between an object’s brightness and the background. This, in turn, makes objects appear less distinct and fainter. We don’t just loose the ability to see farther in the distance, but we also loose the ability to clearly identify what is in our field of vision. We also judge speed poorly in fog. Part of the reason for that is that we typically use objects in our peripheral vision to determine how fast we are going (ie: telephone poles, other cars, road signs), but in the fog, we have no reference points.
The best thing we can do to limit the chance of being involved in an accident while driving in foggy conditions is to pull off the road to a safe place if possible. Statistically, driving in the fog can be more dangerous than any other weather related road condition so pull over if you can into a rest stop or parking lot. If that is impossible, or creates a safety hazard itself, then slow down. Imagine that you were driving in the snow and adjust your speed accordingly. The next thing you can do is make sure you keep plenty of distance between you and the car in front of you – assuming you can see the car! Remember that reaction time may be slower in the fog so allow yourself extra time to stop if it becomes necessary. Turn on your low beams only. High beams direct light up into the fog making in more difficult for you to see. Low beams direct the light down, onto the road, making it easier for you to see and be seen. Stay to the right of the road when possible to avoid potential head-on collision from oncoming traffic.
If you have been involved in a fog related accident, seek the advice of a California accident attorney immediately. Fog related accidents can produce some of the most serious injuries of all vehicle accidents and you may be able to recover damages for any injuries you suffered as a result of the accident. If you would like an experienced California attorney to evaluate your case, contact the law offices of Ledger & Associates at 1-800-300-0001 or visit us at www.ledgerlaw.com.
Tags: accident, accident attorney, accidents, attorney, auto accident, bystanders, cars road, dew point, driving in fog, driving in the fog, fahrenheit, field of vision, foggy conditions, killed, parking lot, perceptual judgments, peripheral vision, rest stop, road condition, road signs, safe place, safety, speed and distance, vehicle accident, vehicle accidents, visibility, war zone, weather
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