IN AN ACCIDENT, DOES A MOTORCYCLE HAVE ANY ADVANTAGES?

The disadvantages that a motorcycle has when compared to a car are well known. The sheer weight of the motorcycle is lower, for instance, so it will fair poorly in an accident with a larger vehicle. A motorcycle also lacks safety features like airbags or a cage to protect the riders. However, are there any advantages that it enjoys?

In fact, there are a few. For one thing, because of its small size and weight, a motorcycle is pretty agile. If the rider is paying attention, he or she may be able to avoid an accident that a larger vehicle—like a semi-truck—could never avoid.

Another advantage is that a motorcycle can stop in a hurry. This doesn’t mean that the accident will always be avoided, but it can be altered. For example, if a car pulls out in front of a motorcycle, the driver may be able to lay the bike down on its side and slide, stopping without impacting the car, whereas another car would have slammed into it head-on.

A motorcycle is also maneuverable and it can quickly swerve out of the way of an accident. The rider may be able to completely avoid the wreck. This ability is enhanced by the small size. A motorcycle rider could swerve into a small bike lane on the side of a road, for example. Even if an alert driver swerved a pickup truck into the same lane, due to the bigger size, the accident would still occur.

Now, even with these advantages, all accidents can’t be avoided, and motorcycle crashes tend to be far more dangerous to the rider when they happen. Those who are injured may be able to get compensationin Pennsylvania.

Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “The Anatomy of a Motorcycle Crash,” accessed Dec. 16, 2015