Common Road Dangers for Motorcyclists in Houston, TX
Motorcyclists face many road dangers. Because of the balance required to operate a motorcycle, surface conditions often play a role in motorcycle accidents in Houston. But the greatest risks to motorcyclists come from traffic and other drivers on the roads.
Studies show that a majority of motorcycle accidents result from careless driving by automobile drivers. When other drivers fail to spot motorcycles, the resulting crashes can cause devastating injuries to motorcycle riders.
Below, learn about the most common road dangers for motorcyclists in Houston, TX, and how you can recover compensation for motorcycle injuries.
Table of Contents
How Attorney Brian White Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Motorcycle Accident in Houston
Attorney Brian White Personal Injury Lawyers is a law firm focused on personal injury cases. Our team includes a lawyer with board certification in personal injury trial law from the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
The attorneys at the firm have over 45 years of combined experience representing accident victims and have recovered millions of dollars for our clients.
When you hire our Houston motorcycle accident lawyers to represent you in your case, we’ll:
- Investigate the cause of the collision and identify all parties who may share liability
- Handle all insurance claims and file a lawsuit on your behalf if necessary
- Negotiate with the at-fault parties to ensure you get fair compensation
- Consult experts to accurately value your motorcycle accident case
- Represent you in court if the opposing parties refuse to offer a fair settlement amount
Contact Attorney Brian White Personal Injury Lawyers at (713) 500-5000 to discuss your motorcycle accident and the compensation you can seek for your injuries.
How Common Are Motorcycle Accidents in Texas?
Texas had 8,322 motorcycle accidents in 2021. Texas also has 349,000 registered motorcycles, which means that Texas had roughly one motorcycle accident for every 45.6 motorcycles registered in the state in 2021. This makes motorcycle accidents shockingly common in Texas.
Motorcyclists also suffer worse outcomes in accidents than other drivers and passengers. In 2021, Texas motorcyclists had 545 fatal motorcycle crashes and 6,531 motorcycle crashes that resulted in an injury. This means 85% of Texas motorcycle accidents resulted in injury or death.
Motorcycles only make up about 1.6% of the vehicles registered in Texas. But motorcyclists accounted for nearly 8.1% of the state’s motor vehicle fatalities and nearly 8.3% of the state’s serious traffic injuries in 2021.
Overview of the Common Road Dangers for Motorcyclists in Houston, TX
Texas provides detailed traffic statistics on its Crash Records Information System (CRIS). All the numbers used below come from this database.
Houston had 733 motorcycle accidents in 2021. The most common injuries that result from motorcycle accidents include injuries to the lower limbs, upper limbs, and head.
According to CRIS, the most common road dangers that motorcyclists face in Houston are not road conditions. In fact, road hazards — like water on the road, animals on the road, or other surface conditions — were listed as a cause for only a single motorcycle crash.
Instead, most motorcycle crashes resulted from human error. The most common road dangers coming from other drivers include:
Speeding
Speeding was listed as a contributing factor in 130 motorcycle crashes in 2021. In 17.7% of Houston’s crashes, at least one of the vehicles was speeding.
In four of these crashes, excessive speed or traveling faster than the speed limit was cited as a contributing factor.
In the remaining 126 crashes, failure to control speed or traveling at an unsafe speed was cited as a contributing factor. This usually means the driver or motorcyclist was traveling too fast when accounting for the weather, road, or traffic conditions.
When you speed, you reduce the time you have to react to emergencies. You also increase your collision energy. These factors combine to make speeding crashes more likely and more deadly.
Unsafe Lane Change
The next most common contributing factor was an unsafe lane change. This dangerous maneuver was listed as a factor in 70 motorcycle crashes in Houston.
When a driver changes lanes or passes a motorcycle, the driver must exercise extra care to look for riders. Unfortunately, many drivers fail to spot motorcycles in the adjacent lane due to their small size. A cognitive bias against seeing motorcycles can also impact drivers.
When an accident results from an unsafe lane change by a driver, the driver bears liability for any injuries their negligence causes.
Failing to Yield
Failure to yield was listed as the primary cause of 40 motorcycle accidents. Motorcycles are smaller than cars. Drivers can misjudge the distance to a motorcycle or its speed, leading the driver to move into an intersection or turn while the motorcycle is dangerously close.
A driver could hit the motorcycle or cause the motorcyclist to attempt an emergency maneuver. In either case, the motorcyclist could crash. When this happens, the driver may be liable for the damage caused by the crash.
Distracted Driving
Surprisingly, distracted driving was only listed as the cause in 12 crashes.
Motorcyclists rarely get cited for distracted driving. Riding a motorcycle requires a rider’s full attention. In many cases, accidents occur when distracted vehicle drivers fail to spot a motorcyclist until it is too late to avoid a crash. In these crashes, the driver may be liable for the motorcyclist’s injuries.
Schedule a Free Consultation with Our Houston Motorcycle Crash Lawyers
Road dangers for motorcyclists can lead to an accident even when the operator exercises care and does everything correctly.
To discuss your motorcycle accident and the injury compensation you can seek for it, contact Attorney Brian White Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation.
