When a driver fails to pay attention or drives in a hurry, there is no one more vulnerable than a pedestrian walking alongside the street. A pedestrian generally does not have the time to jump free of an oncoming vehicle or protect themselves from injury when they are struck by pounds of metal. Police across California have begun to focus on reducing the number of pedestrian accidents that occur annually across the state.
Picking the first car your teenager is going to drive is important. Many parents make sure that it is strong and sturdy, some look for ones with the latest safety features and other parents think about the well known fact that teenagers are more likely to get into car accidents than other, more experienced drivers. One common assumption made by parents and teens alike is that trucks are safer than smaller automobiles. However, a study conducted by a university professor and two of his students seems to suggest otherwise.
The Motorcycle Safety Foundation announced the promotion of Robert Gladden, an advocate of motorcycle safety and a life-long motorcycle enthusiast, to Vice President of the foundation. Gladden will hold the safety of California motorists in his hands as he has been given the task of overseeing the people who manage the California Motorcyclist Safety Program designed to help institute safety programs with the goal of reducing serious injuries and fatalities caused by motorcycle accidents.
Time and time again, drivers are warned about paying close attention to the road that they share with motorcycles. Motorcycles are small, elusive vehicles that can easily be missed, hidden in the blind spots of other, larger vehicles and accidents involving motorcycles have a higher rate of causing serious injury or death.
CHP report that this morning at approximately 9:00 a.m. a motorcyclist collided with a van in the southbound lanes of Highway 101 just north of the Mendocino Avenue overpass. According to police, the motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.
Initial reports are still coming in, so no determination has yet been made as to the cause of the accident, or whether there is comparative fault on behalf of the rider and the driver of the van. What is known is that in two thirds of all multiple vehicle motorcycle accidents, the accident occurred as a result of the other vehicle violating the motorcyclist right of way. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of the victim in this incident.
Monday, November 8 to Sunday, November 14, 2010 has been declared Drowsy Driving Prevention Week by the National Sleep Foundation who launched a public awareness program to educate people about driver fatigue and help to reduce the number of automobile and motorcycle accidents caused by sleepy drivers across the nation.
Driving an automobile on a clear day requires attention, spatial awareness, knowledge of driving regulations, obedience of driving laws and trust in the other drivers that share the road. Although many people claim that driving has become like a second instinct the longer that they have their license, it is still a dangerous task. A vehicle can become a deadly weapon when it is used improperly and causing a car accident.
So often people are inundated with the warning that when a motorcycle is involved in an accident with a larger vehicle, the injuries are usually life-threatening for the motorcyclist and minor for the auto driver and passengers, but it is still the truth. Accidents involving a motorcycle more often than not result in serious bodily injury or even the death of the motorcyclist.