According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, distracted driving accidents claim roughly nine lives every single day in the U.S. On an annual basis, thousands of lives are lost as a result of distracted driving. In fact, 2015 saw 3,477 lives lost to distracted driving, a reminder of how serious this problem is. Distractions such as cell phone use pose a serious threat to the lives of pedestrians and all other drivers on the road. However, they are especially dangerous for those who ride a motorcycle.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that in 2011, 11 percent of the drivers who were involved in a deadly distracted driving wreck were operating a motorcycle. Put another way, 4,471 motorcyclists found themselves involved in a fatal collision that was caused by a distracted driver. The NHTSA also reports that during the same year, motorcyclists accounted for only nine percent (265) of the total number of drivers who were distracted at the time of a fatal accident.
In some cases, motorcyclists may cause an accident because they are distracted, but many wrecks are caused by distracted drivers who are operating other vehicles. Sadly, motorcyclists are especially vulnerable when it comes to distracted driving, for different reasons. Not only do motorcycles offer less protection than other vehicles, but drivers who are distracted may have even more difficulty noticing a motorcyclist as opposed to someone who is driving a truck or even a small car. As a result, motorcyclists injured or killed by a distracted driver deserve justice.
