Motorcycles: To See or not to See
Over my twenty five plus year career representing motorcyclist injured in collisions, I hear the same response from those responsible for the motorcycle crash, “I didn’t see the motorcycle”. This moment of inattention causes the most serious personal injuries to those on the bike including broken bones, spinal cord injuries resulting in paralysis, brain injury, amputations and wrongful death. I also hear from these same people that they wish they had the chance to do it over again, they would have done things differently. They would not have rolled the stop sign. They would have taken that extra second to look again before turning left in front of the motorcycle. They would have looked twice over their shoulder before they moved into the lane next to them where the motorcycle was in the their blind spot.
I also hear them say that they are sorry, that they will never forgive themselves, that they cannot believe what has happened. They cry for the ones they hurt, but their tears cannot and will not give back the little girl her father who has died a wrongful death. Their wishes will not give back the ability to walk and earn a living to the rider with the spinal cord injury dealing with paralysis. Their anxiety will not give clear thought back to the brain injured cyclist.
I ask you, for your own mental well being, and for the health and welfare of all those riding a motorcycle, for all those riding a bicycle, for all those using the road, slow down, take that extra second to look for danger, see what is there to be seen. Get home safely, and allow everyone else to do the same.