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Portland Motorcycle Accident Attorney

 

Tips: Avoid Motorcycle Semi-Truck Accidents In Urban Environments

 

I ride motorcycles. I have ridden street bikes, track motorcycles, motocross, and off road motorcycles. I have ridden thousands of miles on my street motorcycle and I understand the unique perils that a motorcyclist encounters every time he or she gets on their motorcycle. From my experience as a motorcycle rider and as a personal injury attorney I find that most motorcycle riders are extremely safe, cautious, and highly alert vehicle operators, as our life is on the line every ride.

 

For a motorcycle rider, a typical traffic maneuver can be very dangerous. Motorcyclists need a lot of experience on their bike, and I highly recommend PSSR track days and the Oregon motorcycle safety classes which can teach skills and traffic tips so that motorcycle riders can be at the top of their riding ability, and keep improving their motorcycle handling skills and experience with their bike.

 

The picture below illustrates a typical situation in traffic for a motorcycle rider. The motorcycle is illustrated to the right of the semi-truck: presumably the truck in the left lane and the motorcycle in the right lane. However, the motorcycle is in a very dangerous position, especially for riding in metropolitan urban environments.

 

 

The shaded area around the semi-truck cab is a danger zone. Because of the height of the cab, and the proximity of the motorcycle in the right lane to the truck, the motorcycle rider is nearly completely invisible to the driver.

 

All of the shaded area around the truck is dangerous, but in heavy urban traffic like in downtown Portland, a motorcycle rider may inevitably find themselves in these dangerous positions.

 

The motorcycle rider below is pictured just in the front of the semi-truck where presumably the trucker pulled up behind the motorcycle rider. Nevertheless, this is a dangerous position to be in as the truck driver's visibility of this area around the cab is highly impeded. A motorcycle rider should not assume they are visible in the shaded area and ride defensively to maneuver to a clearer spot on the road. Unfortunately, this is a standard position to be in especially in heavy urban traffic such as we have in Portland downtown, or in Oregon's industrial or agricultural areas with high traffic interchanges.

 

 

The position in front or to the right of the cab is so common to a motorcycle rider in traffic, the below image illustrates the danger better, as seen from the truck drivers perspective. As you can see in the illustration, the top of the rider's helmet is just barely visible to the truck driver.

 

 

The problem for the truck driver also includes the demands of driving the big rig in the urban environment and maintaining awareness of all the vulnerable users of the road. If the motorcyclist below pulled into the right lane stop position after the truck was already stopped, they could be in a very dangerous position. Trucks often pull left to turn right, or pull right to turn left; they will often take up two lanes even when you think they have seen you. Secondly the motorcyclist's helmet is below the cab door window because the motorcyclist is very close to the truck. Often in traffic we have to pull into these types of lane positions in congested traffic, but the motorcycle rider could have increased their visibility by pulling farther to the right, away from the truck.

 

 

The shaded area below illustrates how the cab effects the truck driver's angle of vision and the danger zone area that is likely to be difficult for the truck driver to see because of the mass of the big rig cab.

 

Adjusting a slightly upward where the truck driver's eyes are even above the cab door, we can see the truck driver's line of site is quite high and the motorcyclist and motorcycle are can be obscured to the driver especially in heavy traffic where the truck driver would working quite hard at driving the big rig and the traffic vehicle positions would be changing constantly.

 

And the same motorcycle position but from a different angle, we can really see that the motorcycle and motorcyclist are nearly completely invisible from the truck driver's line of site and perspective.

 

 

Portland Motorcycle Accident Attorney

 

If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident, please contact me as soon as possible and I will clearly explain your rights and options. I offer free consultations and I handle all my cases on a contingency fee basis which means you don't owe me anything until your case is settled.