4-wheeled vehicles have more stability generally than 2-wheeled vehicles. Minor imperfections in the roads or in driving conditions that you never noticed behind the wheel of a car can cause serious, even fatal, motorcycle crashes. And, of course, the major road hazards (like hitting a highway embankment or running over a curb at high speed) that can cause a car rollover could likely prove fatal for the unwary biker. Here’s a list of some of the road hazards you’ll need to watch out for on your bike:
1. Slippery or slick surfaces – not just wet or icy pavement, but paint lines, wet leaves, oil slicks, or metal rail tracks;
2. Animals both small and large. A car can run over an armadillo or possum with impunity; you can’t. And hitting a deer can be fatal (it’s sometimes fatal to car occupants too);
3. Gravel – particularly on curves, turns and at speed;
4. Weather: snow, ice and standing water can cause deadly motorcycle crashes;
5. Raised obstructions like rails, railroad ties, raised lane separators (“city titties”), curbs and embankments;
6. Objects left in the road (like boxes, furniture, spilled cargo, signs, equipment, cones or trash);
7. Edge breaks between lanes of different heights, road expansion joints, pot holes, and bridge joints; and
8. Other uneven, irregular or rough road surfaces.
And, of course, you must always watch out for other vehicles, bicyclists and pedestrians. If you’ve suffered injuries from motorcycle crashes and you have questions about your chances of collecting fair compensation for your losses, call our Galveston, TX attorney for motorcycle crashes today at (877) 307-9500 for a free legal consultation. You can also get our free book on motorcycle accident claims.