IS IT OK TO KILL CYCLISTS?
Here's the legal standpoint of accidents where a car hits a cyclist. Several studies show the driver who caused the accident tends to get let off with an unsafe lane-change because they were not driving recklessly or not under the influence. Most states have given cyclists full use of the roads, if they abide by the same traffic laws as motor vehicles. However, not many cities have built a separate, protected lane for bike commuters. In these cities, motor vehicle-bike accidents happen rarely.
When drivers go to court after the accident, judges identify with the drivers because they may not bike on the road or be familiar with bike laws. This also accounts for few changes in construction to make roads safer for cyclists. To change this, actions from the lawmakers and prosecutors need to be made to where motor vehicle drivers are completely at-fault for the accident and not let off with a petty traffic infraction.
MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT SCENE INVESTIGATIONS AND ROAD SAFETY
South Africa has initiated a program where skilled volunteer motorcyclist investigates on-scene motorcycle accidents. South Africa hopes to achieve enough information to better all parties involved in safety, skill, and safety awareness. For now , they have collected information on causation of accidents and rider and passenger safety. The primary accident causation was on part of the motorcyclist, involving driving skill, failure to see the other vehicle, and faulty decision-making. Other factors related to motorcycle accidents included fatigue and weather, which can obstruct a driver’s view and decision-making. These factors can also cause motorcyclists, and drivers in general, to become over-emotional on the road--again, affecting their driving performance.