Chris Hammons | July 2, 2025 | Motorcycle Accidents
Motorcycle accidents are one of the most frightening types of motor vehicle accidents. These accidents usually result in fatal or catastrophic injuries. The state government of Oklahoma, recognizing the dangers of motorcycle accidents, designed laws and programs to protect motorcyclists from harm.
While these programs and regulations help, they can’t prevent all motorcycle accidents. Luckily, if you are a motorcyclist, you can protect yourself by having a strong understanding of what risk factors most commonly cause these accidents.
Inexperience
Riding a motorcycle safely is challenging. The vehicle only has two wheels, which makes it much more susceptible to being affected by bad weather and limits your ability to brake or maneuver quickly. Inexperienced motorcyclists, even if they are experienced drivers, are at high risk of getting into accidents.
Conveniently, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol Safety will help you become a more experienced rider. Anyone with a motorcycle license in Oklahoma can sign up for an OHP Safe Riders course. This free eight-hour course teaches motorcycle safety and is proven to result in safer driving. It is so well respected that insurance companies give insurance discounts for riders who take the course.
Drivers Failing to Notice Your Motorcycle
One of the bigger risks of riding a motorcycle is that your vehicle is significantly smaller than the cars and trucks with which you share the road. Due to the small footprint of your vehicle, car and truck drivers often fail to notice it until it is too late.
This risk is particularly high with taller vehicles like trucks and SUVs. Even if a car wouldn’t be in their blind spot, you may be due to the low height of your vehicle.
Unfortunately, there is little you can do to make your bike larger. Instead, you should make efforts to make yourself more visible. Wearing bright, reflective clothing can help prevent you from being overlooked, especially in the dark.
Additionally, whenever possible, you should avoid driving to the left of cars or trucks. Vehicles making left-hand turns or pulling into the left lane present the largest danger to you.
Road Conditions
There are two types of road conditions that you need to be very wary of: poor maintenance and bad weather. Your motorcycle can easily wipe out on a small patch of ice or due to a modest-sized pothole.
When riding your bike, you need to be on the lookout for any road conditions that could spell disaster. If you see one and have enough time to avoid it, these conditions become annoying, but not particularly dangerous.
If you know a road has any type of uneven pavement or debris, it is best to avoid it, if possible. Your trip may take a little longer, but it will be a lot safer. Additionally, when the weather is bad, either stay off the road, use alternate transportation, or drive slowly. Even a little fog or overcast weather can limit your visibility, making these dangers much more significant.
Negligence
Oklahoma motorcycle traffic laws are there for a reason. If you don’t follow traffic laws, including motorcycle-specific laws, you may be more likely to get into an accident. Typically, riders don’t intentionally violate laws other than speeding laws. Instead, most violations of safety laws are due to apathy or negligence.
It can be easy to do a rolling stop through a stop sign or negligently tailgate the vehicle in front of you, especially when traffic is relatively light. Unfortunately, this type of negligence is exactly the type that results in serious accidents. You might fail to notice another vehicle at an intersection, and suddenly your rolling stop becomes a potentially deadly intersection crash.
Driving Under the Influence
In 2020, 30% of all traffic-related deaths in the U.S. involved at least one party driving under the influence of alcohol. That is over 11,600 people who were killed in crashes involving alcohol. If you are riding a motorcycle, alcohol represents a significant risk of death, whether you or the other driver is drunk.
When you are drunk, your reflexes are significantly impaired. This is particularly dangerous on a motorcycle, where you have less leeway to brake quickly or swerve. Even a mild impairment is likely to result in a wipeout.
You also need to be very wary of drunk drivers. Sober drivers often fail to notice motorcycles due to their small profile. Typically, drunk drivers have altered perceptual abilities, meaning that they are even less likely to identify your vehicle. Even if they do notice you, they might not have the mental facilities to realize that they should slow down.
If you see a driver who is swerving or otherwise not staying in their lane, the best action you can take is to pull off the road and wait until they are long gone. Drunk drivers present too significant a danger to try to pass them or dodge around them.
Equipment Failure
Anytime your equipment fails while you are driving, you are in danger. If you are driving a car and your brakes fail, for example, you are almost certain to get into an accident unless you are lucky enough to be able to coast to a safe stop.
Motorcycle equipment failures are usually even more dangerous. If a tire blows out, for example, you have almost no chance of being able to maintain control with only one working tire. Similarly, if your headlight goes out, you become effectively invisible on the road and won’t be able to see road dangers.
Since your vehicle has fewer redundant systems than a car does, you should get your motorcycle inspected more often than a car. It may cost a little more in maintenance, but the cost is worth it.
Contact Our Motorcycle Accident Lawyers at Laird Hammons Laird Trial Lawyers for a Free Consultation
Motorcycle crashes are frightening because motorcycles have very few safety features. However, if you are cautious and understand the greatest accident risks, you should be able to significantly reduce your likelihood of getting into a motorcycle crash.
For more information, please contact an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer at Laird Hammons Laird Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free initial consultation today. Our law office is located in Oklahoma City.
We proudly serve Oklahoma County, OK and its surrounding areas:
Laird Hammons Laird Personal Injury Lawyers – OKC
1332 SW 89th St,
Oklahoma City, OK 73159
(405) 703-4567