Motorcycle fatalities in Tennessee remain high

by Queener Law | Nov 11, 2014 | Motorcycle Accident, Tennessee

Motorcycle fatalities in Tennessee have increased dramatically, from 42 deaths in 1998 to 134 deaths in 2013, according to the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security. The rise in motorcycle causalities in Tennessee during that 15-year period has been steady, and mirrors an increase in motorcycle fatalities and serious injuries across the nation. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports a national increase from 2,334 motorcycle deaths in 1998 to 5,080 fatalities in 2012. State officials are looking for ways to decrease the number of motorcycle accidents and increase motorcyclists’ safety on Tennessee roadways.

Before finding a way to resolve the rise in deaths due to motorcycle accidents, it is crucial to find the potential root causes for this staggering increase in fatalities. According to the United States Department of Transportation, a surge in motorcycle registrations since 1997 may provide information as to why more people are getting into motorcycle accidents. From 1997 to 2006, motorcycle registrations in the U.S. rose by 75 percent. With a greater number of motorcycles traveling on U.S. roadways, more collisions are likely.

Distracted driving

New advances in technology over the past 15 years have added another cause of motorcycle accidents. Distraction.gov reports that distracted drivers were responsible for the deaths of 3,328 people in 2012. Distracted driving auto accidents injured over 421,000 people that same year. Motorists, who use their cellphones, program their navigation devices or change the DVDs in their cars’ entertainment center while driving, may fail to acknowledge smaller motorcyclists riding alongside them. Improper turns and failure to yield are just a few ways that distracted driving can result in a devastating motorcycle crash.

A 48-year-old Kansas motorist admitted to engaging in distractive activities while driving, which may have caused him to hit an elderly man who was riding his motorcycle. According to Kansas First News, the driver was operating a pickup truck and attempting to change a CD when he collided with the motorcyclist, who was killed as a result of the accident.

Failure to yield

Failure to yield is another common cause of deadly motorcycle accidents. The Knoxville News Sentinel reported that a biker was hit by a vehicle that was attempting to make a turn. The motorcyclist was thrown onto the hood of another vehicle waiting at a stop sign and later died. The motorist was given a citation for failing to yield to the motorcycle, but did not receive any criminal charges.

Due to an increased number of motorcycles on national and state roadways, as well as a growing number of motorcycle fatalities, many state and national organizations, including the NHTSA, have developed campaigns designed to bring awareness to this deadly problem.

Study: Motorcycle accidents and driver perception

by Queener Law | Nov 4, 2014 | Motorcycle Accident, Tennessee

Although motorcyclists have the same rights as all other types of vehicles on Tennessee roadways, many drivers seem oblivious to their existence. The reason for this phenomenon may lie in the results of a recent study conducted at Monash University. According to Science Daily, the study looked at how likely people are to perceive certain types of vehicles that they are not used to driving around. This behavior may increase the risk of motorcycle accidents.

Motorcycle perception

In order to get a better insight into how motorists perceive their driving environment, researchers used vehicle simulators to evaluate whether or not drivers reacted to certain vehicles that they passed in traffic. Researchers asked test subjects to identify both motorcycles and buses, and then controlled the instances of when and where they appeared. While half of the drivers received more buses during the experiment, others were given more motorcycles.

The results showed that most drivers selectively attended to whichever type of vehicle showed up most frequently in their experiment. Those who were given more motorcycles were able to see them from a further distance and were less likely to spot the buses. Drivers who had more buses in their traffic simulation paid less attention to passing motorcyclists. The outcome supported the theory that when people see more of something, they are more likely to watch out for them.

Watching out for motorcycles

In many cities across America, motorcycles are clearly outnumbered by cars, trucks and tractor trailers. If the results of the study hold true, vehicles may be more likely to cause a disastrous motorcycle accident if they are unaware that the motorcycle is there.

A study evaluating over a decade of motorcycle accidents in Florida found that in a majority of the incidents, the vehicle was responsible for causing the accident. The study published in the Sun Sentinel showed that many accidents were caused by negligent drivers who failed to yield to oncoming motorcycles, possibly because they were unable to accurately perceive the motorcycle’s distance or they failed to notice them altogether.

Motorcycle fatality rate

The motorcycle fatality rate in the United States has been steadily increasing over the past five years, jumping from 4,603 deaths in 2009 to 5,080 fatalities in 2012, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. With a substantial increase in motorcycle deaths and injuries, people are looking for ways to increase motorcycle awareness and safety.

If drivers are more aware of their tendency to overlook motorcycles, they may be more cautious when driving alongside motorcycles on Tennessee roadways.