When drivers in North Carolina share the roads with motorcyclists, it is sometimes assumed that the latter are responsible for their own safety entirely. In actual fact, drivers of all vehicles have a legal responsibility to exercise duty of care when sharing the roads with all other vehicles. Motorcylists face unique dangers due to being more unprotected while riding, but they do not have a greater legal responsibility than other drivers.
Statistically, motorcyclists are five times as likely to be injured in a traffic accident and 26 times more likely to die in one than people who are riding in a car. Motorcyle accident deaths have been on the rise since 1999.
.A common problem is that car and truck drivers often don’t see motorcyclists. In two-thirds of cases where a motorcycle and other vehicle collided, the driver of another vehicle was found to have violated the motorcyclist’s right of way. This problem is particularly prevalent at intersections. Motorcyles also respond differently to speed and obstacles and may be more likely to crash in some circumstances where a car might not.
All motor vehicle operators have a legal duty to drive in a reasonable manner. Though statistics show that motorcyclists are often not to blame for accidents they are involved in, there are times when they may not possess the proper skills and could be partly or mostly to blame for accidents. In any road accident, a person who is injured could be entitled to compensation if someone else’s negligence is found to have been the cause.