A 21-year-old man died in a motorcycle accident in Great Falls recently.
Authorities responded to an accident involving a motorcycle and a passenger vehicle during the overnight hours. While rescuers did attempt to revive the young man, he died at the scene of the accident.
While police did indicate that they thought speed may have contributed to the accident, they said that the accident was still under investigation. The police did not specify which vehicle they thought had been speeding or whether the driver of the passenger vehicle would receive a ticket.
Many people have observed that motorcyclists still must deal with social stigma that brands them as reckless and even lawbreakers. This can translate into people, including even police officers, assuming that a serious motorcycle accident must always be the responsibility of the motorcyclist, even when another vehicle is involved.
Tragic motorcycle accidents serve as powerful reminders to other drivers
It is true that motorcyclists need to follow Montana’s traffic laws and operate safely and courteously. However, drivers of larger vehicles also need to operate safely around motorcycles.
In fact, arguably, these drivers have a greater responsibility since other vehicles so much larger than motorcycles, and motorcyclists are relatively unprotected in a collision, even when they do wear proper safety gear.
Minimally, drivers need to be aware that especially in the warmer months, motorcyclists will be on Montana’s roads and highways enjoying this state’s natural beauty. Awareness requires that other drivers operate attentively.
They must follow the rules of the road and treat motorcyclists the same way they would any other vehicle.
However, drivers also need to understand that because of the size of motorcycles and the way they operate, motorcyclists require some extra following distance. It can also be easier for a motorcyclist to disappear into a larger vehicle’s blind spots. Also, judging the speed and distance of a motorcycle is difficult.
Drivers who carelessly a motorcycle accident may be required under Montana law to pay compensation to victims and their families.
