Motor City Accident Attorneys

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Five Safety Habits For Motorcyclists

We’re all well aware that motorcycles don’t have an exterior frame like cars do. This is the main reason why they are deemed as more dangerous than vehicles. A vehicle that is involved in a minor accident or a fender bender can be a serious accident for a motorcyclist simply because of the lack of protection between the rider and outside forces. Therefore it is riskier to ride a motorcycle so if you own a motorcycle or are thinking about owning one, you should practice the following guidelines to increase your safety on the road:

Maintain your motorcycle

Make it a habit to regularly check that your lights, horn, turn signals, and other critical components like the brakes, chain, and tires are working. Tires that are underinflated can make steering and handling the bike more difficult. Any of these components failing to work properly while on the road can result in a serious accident, especially since a motorcycle offers no physical protection like that of a vehicle.

Dress for Safety

Always wear a helmet, even if you’re going on a short ride. You need some protection to make up for the lack of physical protection that motorcycles don’t provide. Motorcycles also don’t have seatbelts so it’s very easy to get thrown off your bike and severely inure your head. While a helmet is the most important gear, it is also important to wear protective clothing such as leather or thick jackets, long sleeves/pants, gloves, over-the-ankle boots, etc. This type of protective clothing protects you from if you happen to hit and slide along rough asphalt. That could scrape you up very badly.

Maintain visibility

Be aware of the blind spots cars and trucks have. Use lane positioning to be seen. You should ride in a part of a lane where you are most visible and try to stay in front of the visibility of other motor vehicles to avoid their blind spot. Avoid weaving between lanes. It’s also a good idea to use reflective strips or decals on your clothing and on your motorcycle.

Leave enough space

Give yourself and other motorists enough space and time to respond to each other’s actions. Practice stops on your bike in a safe environment so that you know how much space you need and then give yourself that space in traffic. It’s important to leave good space between your bike and the vehicle in front of you, and you should also try to keep an escape route open to the side if you can’t stop in time.

Know your bike and how to use it

Be familiar with your bike and how it rides and responds to your actions. Know how to handle your bike in rainy, windy, and snowy conditions, as well as uneven surfaces. The more you develop your riding techniques before going into heavy traffic, the better you will know how to handle your bike on the road. Always ride within your skill level. Don’t attempt a maneuver during heavy traffic that you’re not familiar with.

If you or someone you know has been involved in a car crash or truck accident in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Warren, Sterling Heights, Lansing, Flint, Ann Arbor, Livonia, Dearborn, Canton, Westland, Troy, Farmington Hills, Southfield, Waterford or any other city in Michigan, make sure to contact Motor City Accident Attorneys by calling 1-800-411-PAIN. Motor City Accident Attorneys know how stressful a car accident can be and want to help you get back on your feet. They will fight tirelessly for your rights and help you get the compensation you deserve, according to your specific case. Make sure to follow Motor City Accident Attorneys on Twitter (@MCAccidentAtty) and Facebook. Join the conversation by using #MCAA.

Friday, October 30, 2015

Texting While Walking: How Dangerous is it?

If you’re someone who checks your phone a lot while you’re walking down city sidewalks, crossing street to street, you may want to start keeping your eyes on what’s in front of you. It is well known that you should never text while you drive, but how dangerous is texting while walking? Texting while walking across streets can have serious consequences as well.

Texting while walking decreases the ability to walk in a straight line, just like it may cause you to swerve while driving. In an experiment performed by Jack Nasar, a professor emeritus at Ohio State University, he found that pedestrians who use their phones while walking are 48 percent more likely to walk into oncoming traffic.

Distracted walkers also take longer to cross the street because being distracted on your phone slows you down. Because you are distracted, you are also more likely to ignore traffic lights or fail to look both ways. All these actions increase your chance of getting into a pedestrian/vehicle accident.

This issue especially has been prevalent among teens. Nearly 40 percent of teens in the U.S. have either been hit or close to being hit by a passing car, motorcycle, or bike due to cell phone-related distractions.

Pedestrian deaths in general have risen by 15 percent since 2009, and the number of pedestrians injured while on their phones has more than doubled since 2005, according to a study conducted by researchers at Ohio State University. This could be due to the fact that people use their cellphones for more tasks now, now that smart phones and social media have become a lot more common over the years.

The fact of the matter is that while it might be more dangerous to text and drive because you’re using a multi-ton vehicle and potentially threatening the lives of others on the road, using your phone while walking is still very risky and dangerous for your own safety. It is simply best to just leave the phone away especially while crossing an intersection, or it may increase your chance of becoming another pedestrian accident statistic.

Top three causes of car accidents in America

When we get behind the wheel of a car, we take on a huge responsibility. We take on a responsibility for the safety of other drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians. The unfortunate news is that car accidents are very common. However, the good news is that they can be prevented. Do you know what are the top three causes of car accidents? They may not be what you think they are.

1. Distracted Driving
The leading cause of car accidents is distracted driving, whether it is talking or texting on the phone, eating, reading, or talking to other passengers in the vehicle. Drivers using a hand-held device are actually four times more likely to get into a car accident than those who are not. And if you’re texting while driving, you are then 23 times more likely to get into an accident. Leave the multi-tasking behind and give your undivided attention to the road. Such a preventable action could end up costing you or someone else’s life.

2. Speeding

Speeding contributes to about a third of all car accidents in America. The faster you are going, the riskier it is for you and others on the road. It’s never worth saving an extra 10 minutes when there are lives on the line. Practice safe driving habits and follow the speed limit.

3. Drunk Driving

Drunk driving is one of the most dangerous things a person could do on the road. According to MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), a person dies every 52 minutes in a drunk driving related accident. This is why you should always have a designated driver or take a cab home. Also, if you suspect your friend is too drunk to drive, make sure they don’t get behind the wheel. Drunk driving is extremely irresponsible to the safety of others on the road.

Now that you know the top three causes, just think about how many accidents could be prevented and how many lives could be saved if everyone put their phone away, obeyed the speed limit, and didn’t drive drunk. You can be a responsible citizen by straying away from these actions and help make the road safer for everyone.

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Things to Watch Out For About GPS Systems

GPS systems are great tools to help reach your destination, whether you’re going on a long road trip across the country or even an address within your town. They are really commonly used today now that most phones have navigational apps. It’s no longer just an extra feature you have to add when purchasing a car, or an actual device you have to buy separately. While they can help you find what you’re looking for, sometimes they can pose a hazard in some situations. It’s important to keep certain things in mind when using one:

They Aren’t Always Right
GPS units are not always 100% accurate. Sometimes they may lose satellite signal, which affects its accuracy, navigating you to go in the wrong direction, or may have a delayed response due to poor satellite connection. For example, it may tell you to turn when you no longer have enough time or distance to switch lanes. It’s important to not jerk your vehicle in a sudden reaction to what it’s telling you. Also, many times GPS units don’t know if a street is only one-way, so it may navigate you to turn right on a one-way street going left. Therefore, it’s important to pay attention to any street signs and to where your GPS is directing you, or you could turn into a wrong direction and cause a serious head-on collision.

Watch Out For Construction
Road construction may cause certain roads to be closed, and they may be roads your GPS unit tells you to take. Some GPS units may not recognize road changes or be updated to reflect on those changes. So be on the lookout if you reach an area with construction going on and pay attention to where you’re going, or you can end up in an accident such as going onto a barricaded route.

Pay Attention
You should keep your GPS mounted in a place where you can see it without taking your eyes off the road, such as the dashboard or a suction cup mount on the windshield. If the GPS is on your phone and you don’t have a way of placing it somewhere with easy view, don’t look down at your phone but hold it up to your eye level, although it is preferable that in this case you just listen to the directions, as looking at your phone can be distracting.

If you or someone you know has been involved in a car crash or truck accident in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Warren, Sterling Heights, Lansing, Flint, Ann Arbor, Livonia, Dearborn, Canton, Westland, Troy, Farmington Hills, Southfield, Waterford or any other city in Michigan, make sure to contact Motor City Accident Attorneys by calling 1-800-411-PAIN. Motor City Accident Attorneys know how stressful a car accident can be and want to help you get back on your feet. They will fight tirelessly for your rights and help you get the compensation you deserve, according to your specific case. Make sure to follow Motor City Accident Attorneys on Twitter (@MCAccidentAtty) and Facebook. Join the conversation by using #MCAA

Monday, October 26, 2015

Spotting A Drunk Driver

We all know that being on the same road as a drunk driver can be very risky and dangerous. Unfortunately, drunk driving happens very often. According to data compiled by MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), one out of every 25 drivers is driving illegally intoxicated, and the percentage of drunk drivers is even higher on nights and weekends. Given the high frequency of drunk driving, it’s important to know the signs of intoxication on the road. Here are some signs and tips on what to do if you spot a drunk driver so that you can help protect yourself and your loved ones.

Stop and Go Driving

Drunk drivers can tend to lose track of where they’re going and what they’re doing while they’re driving. They may come to a stop randomly for no reason and then continue driving again.

Uneven or Wide Turns

Drunk drivers often over or underestimate their turns because they have trouble measuring distance. For example, they will make a wide turn at a simple corner and then try to adjust quickly mid-turn. This reaction makes it look like a swerve mid-turn. If you see someone turn like this, watch for other signs of drunk driving after they turn.

Driving too fast or too slow

An intoxicated driver oftentimes drives more than 10 mph under the speed limit to try to focus on the road and be extra careful in order to avoid being detected. Or they may drive extra fast, more than the average speeder, because their motor skills are impaired and don’t realize what they are doing.

Straddling Lanes

One of the most common signs of detecting a drunk driver is when they are straddling two lanes for miles or keep changing into the next lane without signaling and then jerk back to their own lane. This is commonly known as swerving and if a driver can’t stay in his or her own lane, steer clear away from them.

These are just some of the most common signs of drunk driving. If you think you happen to spot a drunk driver, stay far away from their vehicle. If you notice someone’s driving is a dangerous hazard on the road, notify the police but do not try to interfere personally as that can cause a serious accident.

Monday, October 19, 2015

Most Common Types of Bicycle Accidents

In 2013, 743 people lost their lives in bicycle/motor vehicle accidents. Why do most of these accidents happen? We’ve listed some of the most common causes of bicycle and vehicle collisions.

Midblock rideout: This is the most frequent type of accident for young riders, and it happens soon after the bicyclist enters the road from a driveway, alley, or curb without slowing down, stopping, or looking for traffic. This sudden entry from the bicyclist leaves the vehicle driver too little time to avoid the collision.

Wrong-way riding: Riding against traffic confuses drivers as they do not expect traffic to be approaching from the wrong way. You should ride on the right side with traffic.

Bicyclist left turn or sudden swerve: A lot of accidents occur when the bicyclist swerves to the left without checking traffic or signaling to the vehicles behind them. Suddenly moving in front of a vehicle does not give the driver enough time to avoid a crash. Always look out for traffic and signal when turning. Make sure the driver is aware of your intention.

Stop sign ride-out: This type of crash occurs at a two-way stop intersection when a bicyclist enters the intersection from a lane that has a stop sign and then collides with a vehicle approaching from a direction that does not have a stop sign.

Motorist overtaking cyclist: When motorists do not see the bicyclist and fail to react until it’s too late. This is more likely to happen at night and on narrow rural roads. Many times it is also due to the driver not paying attention or being impaired.

Always be very cautious when entering roads or switching lanes while on your bike. It’s important to understand common causes of bicycle accidents so that you can try to prevent them from happening by taking preventive measures.