Busy Holiday Roads Can Lead To New Haven Motorcycle Accidents

Even after the first snowfall of the year hit northern Connecticut this week, there are still plenty of days left to be out on your motorcycle throughout southern Connecticut.  In fact, it is a nice time of year to be riding so you can feel the brisk air on your face and feel refreshed after a ride through the Elm City.  It’s a good time to ride a motorcycle, but there are also some significant dangers around the corner for you to concern yourself with.

Getting into a New Haven motorcycle accident can get increasingly more likely as the road gets busier for the upcoming holiday weekend.  AAA estimates that nearly 55 million people will be traveling around the Thanksgiving weekend and that means traffic and more issues on the road.  If you’re careful you will remain safe and avoid an accident, but if you don’t follow some of the important safety measures you should be taking, you may find yourself in a bad situation just before the holidays.

If you’re deciding to ride your motorcycle while the traffic is more significant this time of the year you should follow some of these safety steps to avoid a serious accident or injury.

1.) Always follow the speed limit.  Excessive speed is often the reason for an accident to turn more severe than it might have otherwise been.  Even driving 5 MPH over the speed limit can turn a fender bender into a serious accident that involves injury.  The impact of speeding is more pronounced for those riding a motorcycle because the faster you’re driving the greater the possibility is for you to be thrown from your bike which can lead to serious injury.

2.) Be patient and don’t maneuver through traffic.  It can be tempting when you’re sitting in stop and go traffic to hit the throttle and drive past all of the vehicles that are sitting in bumper to bumper traffic, but this can be a very dangerous proposition for you as a motorcycle rider.  Weaving in and out of traffic can lead to situations that you might not expect like a car, who doesn’t see you coming, trying to change lanes and runs right into you.  You will, in all likelihood being traveling at a high speed and the injuries you could suffer would be catastrophic.

3.) Avoid distractions.  This is a good rule of thumb no matter how heavy the traffic volume is, but especially when the roads are extremely busy, you should not be touching your phone or playing with your radio or involving yourself in distractions of any kind.  While on your bike you should be laser focused on the road ahead of you and nothing else.

Riding your motorcycle to your family or friends get together around the holiday season can be fun and exhilarating.  It might even be fun to take your family out for a ride if they are interested.  It is so important though, to make sure you are taking the proper precautions when you are driving to avoid a New Haven motorcycle accident.  If you can manage to keep these above things in mind you will arrive at your destination with plenty of holiday spirit to spread far and wide.

If you do find yourself injured in an accident you may need to speak with an attorney who has experience handling situations just like the one you’ve found yourself in.  Contact our office and one of our attorneys will speak with you and work to protect your long-term interests.