Nova Scotia police say that three motorcyclists were injured in a collision on Aug. 24. The crash happened on Pleasant Valley Road near Brookfield as the driver of a vehicle says that she was trying to turn. During the turn, she crashed into the three motorcycles. Police say that signage in the area was inadequate, and charges against the female driver are unlikely.
While one of the motorcyclists suffered only minor injuries, the other two suffered serious injuries. The motorcycle accident has prompted motorcycle groups to plead for drivers to pay better attention. The clubs have been pushing for motorcycle safety signage, and there are plans for about 12 more to be installed across Nova Scotia before the end of summer 2014.
In 2011 and 2012, there were eight motorcycle accident-related deaths, and this number increased to 11 in 2013. However, there were only two motorcycle accident fatalities as of mid-August 2014. However, the vehicles are gaining popularity, and every year, about 5,000 more motorcycles are registered. A Safety Services Nova Scotia motorcycle-training manager says that 90 per cent of motorcycle crashes happen because other drivers do not see the motorcyclists or the bikes.
Along with drivers failing to pay attention, some other causes of motorcycle accidents are distracted driving, speeding and dangerous road conditions. Motorcyclists who are involved in traffic collisions are at a high risk for suffering serious and fatal injuries because they do not have a lot of protection against the weight of larger, heavier vehicles.
When motorcyclists are injured because of the negligence of other drivers, they could be entitled to compensation to recover some of the damages. This might include lost wages while the victims were unable to return to work and any other out-of-pocket expenses directly related to their injuries.
Source: CBC News, “Brookfield crash has motorcycle clubs pleading for caution“, August 25, 2014