Salt Lake City Motorcycle Accident Results in Serious Head Injuries
A man and women were riding on a motorcycle February 3, 2009 in Salt Lake City near 1300 South and 800 East when a van pullled out from an stop sign and failed to yield the right-of-way to the motorcycle. The motorcycle was unable to avoid hitting the van and both the driver and passenger sustained serious brain injuries.
According to the Utah Department of Public Transportion, Utah has seen a increase in motorcycle accidents, specifically fatal Utah Motorcycle accidents. 35 Utah motorcyclists died in 2008, which is the highest rate of motorcycle fatalities since 1985.
Motorcycle versus automobile accidents are always serious, and often deadly. Utah Department of Public Safety has made extensive efforts to educate the public about motorcycles on the roads. They wrote a brochure, “Share the Road, Start Seeing Motorcycles” and note that approximately 75% of all motorcycle crashes involve a motor vehicle, and 67% of these crashes were caused by the motorist failing to yield the right-of-way to the motorcyclist.
Everyone should read this brochure and follow their SEE program while traveling on Utah roads. S- Search for factors in the area, search for oncoming traffic, motorcycles, pedestrians, etc. E- Evaluate the potential risk and options. Think about your time and space requirements to maintain a margin of safety. E- Execute with control and precision. Don’t make a maneuver unless it can be done safely.
