In Washington, many of us have noticed that there’s been an uptick in certain negative road behaviors. As drivers continue to be more distracted, motorcycle riders continue to take part in unsafe behavior as well. Unfortunately, this may have something to do with the increase in the number of motorcycle accidents being reported in the Evergreen state. And this reality concerns us and anyone who takes road safety seriously.
According to the Washington State Patrol, motorcyclists have been weaving in and out of traffic, increasing the risk of accidents. But that’s not the only concern. According to reports, motorcycle riders have also been more likely to drive on the shoulder. This is a problem as officials are having a hard time catching these riders while they are exposing others to risks.
While it’s understandable that riders are tired of getting stuck in traffic, especially with the weather becoming warmer, riders should never break road rules in order to escape bad traffic. Especially if breaking these road rules may increase the risk of accidents.
In order to ensure that riders are doing all they can to avoid accidents, Washington State Patrol troopers are cracking down on riders who are not following road rules.
As personal injury lawyers, we know well just how damaging a motorcycle accident can be to the victim. We also know that there are a lot of factors that may lead to accidents. These factors may include driver distractions, which make it hard for drivers to notice riders sharing the road. They may also include speeding and yes, lane splitting.
While lane splitting can be done safely, there isn’t a law in Washington yet that make the practice legal like in California. So until lawmakers are able to come to a consensus on this, it’s important that riders are doing their part to avoid accidents at all times.
We hope that our readers and clients are learning a thing or two from this report. If you’re curious to know more about how motorcyclists have been involved in potentially dangerous behavior, follow this link. To stay on top of other issues that may be exposing riders and drivers to accident risks in Washington, continue to follow our blog regularly.
