Motorcyclists always have to remember that they are vulnerable on the road. They have far less protection than those in larger motor vehicles. Other drivers often make mistakes and hit motorcyclists, but it is the motorcyclists who pay the price. They can suffer life-altering injuries, such as spinal cord injuries or traumatic brain injuries.
One reason why this happens is a phenomenon called inattentional blindness. It has to do with the way a driver’s brain works and what they see. A driver can look directly at a motorcycle without actually seeing it at all, and this leads to a lot of collisions when drivers are trying to merge or pull into traffic.
Why does this happen?
This happens simply because of the amount of information a person’s brain is attempting to process when they are driving their car. They have to think about the controls, the road conditions, the weather conditions, the traffic around them, how to operate a complex machine and much more. They may also be listening to music or passengers who are talking.
The brain knows that this is difficult, so it tries to help people focus by filtering out unnecessary or unexpected information. But this means that what a driver expects to see becomes very important. If that driver is not looking for a motorcycle, their brain could filter it out. They won’t see it until the moment that they cut the bike off and cause a serious collision.
If you are a motorcyclist who has been hurt in one of these crashes, you need to know how to seek financial compensation from the at-fault driver.
