Staying Safe While Riding A Motorcycle In A Residential Area

Last November, Randy Carter of Elgin and Tami Brown of Lexington County were riding on Carter’s motorcycle in a residential area of Smyrna Road in Columbia.  They were in a northbound lane when a Chevrolet SUV pulled out of a driveway.  Carter was unable to avoid a collision, and he struck the SUV on the driver’s side.  First responders pronounced Carter dead at the scene.  He was 50 years old.  Brown was transported to Prisma Health Richland hospital, but she died of her injuries later that day.  She was 51 years old.  None of the occupants of the SUV sustained serious injuries.  News reports did not indicate whether Carter and Brown were wearing helmets at the time of the collision.  Even though people tend to worry more about motorcycle accidents on interstate highways or in secluded areas, they can also happen much closer to your own stomping ground.  If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident close to home, contact a Columbia motorcycle accident lawyer.

Neighborhoods Hold as Many Hazards for Motorcyclists as the Open Highway

Motorcyclists should use caution no matter where they ride.  South Carolina law only requires motorcycle riders to wear helmets if they are younger than 21 years old, but no matter your age, you should always wear a helmet.  Motorcycle helmets greatly reduce the risk of death or traumatic brain injury in the event of a motorcycle collision.

As for where is the safest place to ride, it depends on many factors.  Interstate highways carry the hazard of high-speed limits.  The risk of dying in an accident increases at higher speeds.  If the vehicles involved in an accident on the interstate highway are obeying the 70 mile per hour speed limit, there is already a substantial chance that a collision will involve fatalities; this chance is even greater if one of the vehicles involved in a motorcycle.  If you or the vehicles near you are speeding on the highway, it is even more dangerous.

On the other hand, vehicles on the highway tend to stay in their lanes for an extended period of time; there are fewer distractions and surprises.  Meanwhile, in city traffic, you must constantly adjust to traffic lights, stop signs, and turns.  Dogs will not chase your motorcycle on the interstate, but they might in a residential neighborhood.  Finally, people who are backing their vehicles out of residential driveways might have a hard time seeing motorcyclists who are trying to pass them.

If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident, you might be entitled to compensation for your accident-related financial losses.  A personal injury lawyer can help you get the money you need through an insurance claim or lawsuit.

Let Us Help You Today

The personal injury lawyers at the Stanley Law Group can help you if you have been injured in a motorcycle accident in a residential neighborhood.  Contact The Stanley Law Group in Columbia, South Carolina or call (803)799-4700 for a free initial consultation.

Sources:

wistv.com/2022/11/07/coroner-identifies-victims-kershaw-county-motorcycle-collision/

wistv.com/2022/11/07/two-dead-after-motorcycle-collision-kershaw-county/