Jersey Shore Personal Injury and Employment Specialists

Motorcyclists are not always the victims in accidents

On Behalf of | Oct 23, 2015 | Drunk Driving Accidents |

It is common knowledge that motorcyclists face many dangers on the road, including those from other drivers. However, it is not always the other driver that causes an accident. Sometimes the one at fault is the biker. This may be especially true when it pertains to intoxicated motorcyclists in New Jersey. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there are more drunk motorcyclists involved in fatal accidents than intoxicated drivers of other vehicles.

The NHTSA reported 56 motorcyclist fatalities in traffic accidents in New Jersey in 2013, as well as 146 drunk driving fatalities in the state that same year. If the statistics provided by the agency are true, then a large portion of motorcyclists may have been impaired at the time of their accidents.

Riding a motorcycle while drunk affects bikers in different ways than it does for other drivers. The effects of intoxication are the same – it’s the operation of a motorcycle that can be profoundly impaired. Alcohol intoxication inhibits concentration, judgment and balance. It can cause a drunk driver to speed, take dangerous risks or pass out behind the wheel. When these effects apply to motorcyclists, the results can be devastating. Bikers need to have precise balance and coordination to operate their motorcycles safely. They also have the ability to travel at high speeds and maneuver quickly around other cars and obstacles. The slightest mistake can throw a biker from his or her motorcycle.

Since other vehicles are larger and more protected than motorcycles, how might a drunk biker cause a personal injury? Other drivers may attempt to avoid hitting a drunk motorcyclist and crash into another car or fixed object instead. Drivers may also be injured in collisions with a motorcycle. Therefore, it is possible for drivers to seek compensation from a motorcyclist in a drunk driving accident.