Louisville Motorcycle Fatality

As spring and soon summer get underway in Kentucky, more motorcycles will be on the roads.  Tragically, there was another Louisville motorcycle fatality in April.  This one occurred when the driver of a car failed to yield the right of way and may a left turn, in front of the oncoming motorcycle.

We’ve posted a lot of data about Kentucky traffic accidents.  We want to give our readers an indication of just how frequently accidents occur on our Kentucky roadways.  We’ll soon have more information about 2016 collisions, but for now we’ll continue to use the 2015 reports.

Motorcycle Accidents in Kentucky

Kentucky had 101,008 registered motorcycles.  Add to that the number of out-of-state motorcyclists who are visiting the Commonwealth or travelling through it.  Unfortunately, there were 1,778 motorcycles involved in collisions in 2015.

Motorcycles can be difficult to see, especially when they’re riding in another vehicle’s blind spot.  If you’re driving a car, it’s a good idea make an extra effort to keep an eye out for motorcyclists.  In the example we noted above, you should pay special attention when turning.  An oncoming motorcycle might be overlooked if you’re distracted, or fail to exercise the proper caution.

From the motorcyclists’ perspective, they should remember the instructions they learned while qualifying for their motorcycle license. Automobile drivers are sometimes at guilty of negligence, but they’re not the only ones to blame.

Are Motorcycle Drivers at Fault?

Here are the top 3 factors motorcyclists engaged in, which lead to a motorcycle accident in 2015:

• Inattention – 34% of all motorcycle collisions
• Not Under Proper Control – 26% of all motorcycle collisions
• Failed to Yield the Right of Way – 13% of all motorcycle collisions

There were 86 incidents of a motorcycle fatality in 2015.  Even one is too many for their families and friends.  Let’s have a great summer, but remember, all of us need to drive safely.  This means wearing your seat belt, avoiding texting while driving and keeping an eye out for motorcycles.

Our hearts go out to the family of the victim of this recent motorcycle fatality.  We hope it’ll be the last one we write about in 2017.