How To Be a Safe Driver To Motorcyclists in Houston, TX

Research shows that automobile drivers cause a majority of collisions between motorcycles and vehicles. In other words, even when motorcyclists exercise all due care, they still have a significant risk of a crash simply by riding near automobiles.

Someone who learns how to drive safely around motorcycles could reduce the risk of incurring significant legal liabilities and may even save a motorcyclist’s life. 

If you were injured in a motorcycle accident in Houston, TX, Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers will fight to recover compensation from any driver involved in causing the crash. Contact our Texas law firm for a free case evaluation with an undefeated attorney at (888) 603-3636.

Table of Contents

• How Can Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers Help You After a Motorcycle Accident in Houston, TX?
• How Many Collisions Happen Between Automobiles and Motorcycles in Houston, Texas?
• Tips For Driving Around Motorcycles in Houston
• Contact Our Undefeated Houston Motorcycle Accident Attorneys For a Free Initial Consultation

How Can Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers Help You After a Motorcycle Accident in Houston, TX?

The team at Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers represents injured clients in Houston, Texas, against at-fault parties and their insurers. Since 2006, our Houston motorcycle accident lawyers have recovered billions of dollars in compensation for accident victims like you.

If you suffer an injury due to the negligent or intentional actions of others, our attorneys can provide the following:

• A free consultation to analyze your case and discuss your legal options
• An aggressive legal strategy to settle your case for the amount you need and deserve
• Undefeated litigators who will take your case to trial if insurers won’t settle

Motorcycle crashes can cause catastrophic injuries since riders have no protection in a crash. Contact our Houston personal injury lawyers to discuss your motorcycle accident and the compensation you can pursue for your injuries under Texas law.

How Many Collisions Happen Between Automobiles and Motorcycles in Houston, Texas?

Texas provides access to comprehensive traffic crash statistics through its Crash Records Information System (CRIS). Through this system, you can construct queries illustrating how motorcycle crashes happen in Texas.

In 2023, Houston had 714 motorcycle crashes. These crashes included:

• 469 collisions with other vehicles
• 238 single-vehicle accidents
• Six collisions with pedestrians
• One collision with a bicycle

Using the statistic that automobile drivers cause up to 60% of multi-vehicle collisions, you can estimate that drivers were responsible for about 281 collisions. Motorcyclists were blamed for around 188 collisions.

Tips For Driving Around Motorcycles in Houston

Motorcyclists have three disadvantages compared to cars, trucks, vans, and SUVs. First, motorcycles are smaller and, as a result, less visible in adverse conditions like darkness, rain, or fog. Even glare can interfere with a driver’s ability to see motorcycles.

Second, motorcyclists must maintain their balance to ride safely. A bump or even a near miss that would cause little to no damage to another automobile could seriously injure or kill a motorcyclist. Once a motorcyclist tips over or “lays down” their motorcycle, they can slide off the road or, worse yet, into a traffic lane.

Third, drivers have a cognitive bias against spotting motorcyclists. This phenomenon blocks drivers’ brains from recognizing motorcycles even when they see them. Psychologists refer to these crashes as looked-but-failed-to-see (LBFTS) traffic accidents.

They explain these types of crashes as a consequence of inattentional blindness. In other words, drivers slip into a figurative “cruise control” where they are neither attentive nor distracted. However, while in this state, studies show that up to 65% of drivers don’t notice motorcycles in plain sight.

With this understanding of the disadvantages faced by motorcyclists, here are some tips for driving safely around motorcycles:

Look For Motorcycles

One way to battle inattentional blindness is to consciously look for motorcycles. This skill takes training. Your mind must recognize motorcycles as vehicles just as you recognize automobiles and semi-trucks as vehicles.

Always Check Your Blind Spots

Even if you spot motorcycles behind or ahead of your vehicle, you can lose track of them in traffic. Motorcycles are smaller and more maneuverable than automobiles. Consequently, you should always check your blind spots before changing lanes. You might not see a motorcycle if you only check your rearview and side view mirrors and maneuver into it.

Leave Space When You Pass

Passing motorcycles requires additional care. Texas law requires drivers to give motorcycles full use of a lane. As a result, you must move fully into another lane to pass rather than hanging over the lane line when passing.

After overtaking the motorcycle, leave space when moving back into the motorcyclist’s lane. Riders can lose control of their motorcycles during an emergency stop or swerve. Thus, you can cause a motorcycle crash even when you do not hit the motorcycle.

Do Not Tailgate Motorcycles

Rear-end collisions are particularly dangerous for motorcycles. Since motorcyclists do not have seat belts or passenger compartments, a rear-end crash can eject the rider from their motorcycle. They will suffer injuries in the initial collision, then again in a secondary impact on the road surface. These impacts can cause catastrophic spinal cord and brain injuries.

Contact Our Undefeated Houston Motorcycle Accident Attorneys For a Free Initial Consultation

A motorcycle crash can cause serious injuries and expose drivers to significant liabilities to the motorcyclists they hit. Contact Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers to discuss your motorcycle crash injuries and the financial compensation you can seek for them. Our Houston personal injury attorneys offer a free case assessment.