One close call on a bike can stick with you, and for good reason. Riders face direct exposure, less room for error, and drivers who often fail to look twice.

At Morain & Buckelew, LLC, our team brings 65+ years of experience helping injured people and families pick up the pieces, and we’ve seen the same patterns again and again.

This guide breaks down common causes of motorcycle accidents, so you can spot trouble sooner and ride smarter.

Overview of Factors Contributing to Motorcycle Accidents

Motorcyclists are far more exposed than people in cars or trucks. NHTSA data has long shown that a high share of reported motorcycle crashes lead to injury or death, while passenger-vehicle crashes are less likely to do so. That gap is a reminder to ride defensively every mile.

Another recurring theme is that other vehicles violate a rider’s right-of-way far too often. In one NHTSA analysis, around 41 percent of crashes involving a motorcycle and another vehicle happened when the other driver turned left as the bike traveled straight. Our focus here groups causes into three buckets: other drivers, rider-related factors, and environmental or road conditions.

Common Causes Involving Other Drivers

Many wrecks begin with another driver who fails to yield, glances once, and then pulls out anyway. Small bike profiles and distracted habits make riders easy to miss, especially in busy corridors and at night.

Left-Turn Accidents

A classic danger happens at intersections. Drivers turning left claim they “didn’t see” the motorcycle, even when the rider had the right-of-way. Inattentional blindness, where the brain filters out what it isn’t actively looking for, often plays a part.

Head-On Collisions

Head-on impacts are devastating. The smaller profile of a bike makes it harder to pick up at a distance or in low light, and closing speeds rise fast. Survival odds drop sharply in these crashes, so slowing and scanning well ahead matters.

Rear-End Collisions

Motorcycles can stop quickly. A driver who follows too closely or glances at a screen might not react in time when you brake for traffic or hazards.

Quick habits help lower the risk of getting hit from behind. Try these simple moves when stopping in traffic or at lights:

• Flash the brake lever early with light taps to wake up drivers behind you.
• Stop at an angle with an escape path to the side, not trapped behind a bumper.
• Keep the bike in gear and scan mirrors until a vehicle fully stops behind you.

Those steps do not remove risk, but they give you space and seconds to react.

Unsafe Lane Changes

Drivers drift or dart across lanes without signaling, then clip a rider sitting in a blind spot. Trucks and SUVs sit high, which hides bikes near their rear quarters.

Work to stay out of blind zones by matching or changing speed and shifting lane position. If you can see the driver’s face in a mirror, they can see you too.

Distracted Driving

Phone use, map taps, food, and in-car screens pull attention away from the road. CDC research highlights distraction as a continuing factor in fatal crashes, and riders feel it right away when a driver fails to track a smaller vehicle.

Even at low speeds, a single glance away cuts reaction time. Assume a driver with a downcast gaze is not seeing you.

Driving While Fatigued

Drowsy drivers react late or drift across lines. Long routes and tight delivery windows put truck drivers at higher risk of fatigue, especially overnight or before dawn.

Give heavy vehicles extra space and avoid camping near their fenders if a truck wanders within its lane, back off and pass only with clear distance.

Speeding and Reckless Driving

Rapid lane weaving, tailgating, and hard acceleration shorten everyone’s safety margin. Higher speeds also raise impact forces, which means harsher injuries for riders.

When traffic turns jumpy, widen your following distance and break off from aggressive packs. A little patience can mean a lot.

Drunk and Drug-Impaired Driving

Impaired drivers track poorly and react late. Many fatal crashes involve alcohol on at least one side of the incident.

Studies from safety agencies, including IIHS and NHTSA, show alcohol involvement in a large share of fatal crashes, with about one quarter of fatally injured motorcycle drivers at or above 0.08 BAC in some years. Night rides and weekends deserve extra caution.

Comparison Table, Driver Errors, and Safer Rider Moves

Scenario	Why It Happens	Rider Move
Left-turn across your path	Inattentional blindness, poor speed judgment	Cover brakes, slow on approach, move slightly within the lane to stand out
Rear-end at a light	Following too close, distraction	Brake-tap early, angle for an escape line, stay in gear, and watch mirrors
Unsafe lane change into you	Blind spot, no signal	Adjust speed to clear blind zones, avoid riding door-to-door
Head-on on two-lane roads	Drift over center, poor visibility	Ride right on crests, use high beams where legal, slow when sight lines fade

None of these tips guarantees a clean ride, yet each one stacks the odds a bit more in your favor.

Rider-Related Accident Causes

Some crashes trace back to the rider’s speed, impairment, skill level, or attention. We all start somewhere, and there is no shame in building skills step by step.

Speeding

Speed is a factor in a large share of fatal motorcycle crashes, commonly around one-third in national reports. Curves magnify the danger, and grip drops quickly in wet or cold weather.

Choose entry speeds that leave room to roll on, not brake hard while leaned over. If the view of the exit closes off, roll off and stand the bike up early.

Driving Under the Influence

Biking demands sharp vision, coordination, and balance. Alcohol or drug use dulls those tools and floods the risk meter.

IIHS data show that about one-quarter of fatally injured motorcycle drivers had a BAC at or above 0.08 in some recent years. A ride share today beats a hospital bed tomorrow.

Inexperience

Formal training builds muscle memory and judgment. Licensing, practice in controlled settings, and steady coaching help riders avoid panic inputs and target fixation.

New riders do well starting on simpler roads and taking an MSF course. Those drills, braking and swerving especially, pay off when a car does something wild.

Inattention

Multitasking is a myth; the brain toggles between tasks and drops detail. On two wheels, that gap bites hard.

Keep both hands ready and eyes scanning. Put the phone away and keep music simple or off in tricky traffic.

Improper Gear

Good gear turns a bad slide into bruises instead of broken bones. A solid kit also helps you stay visible and focused.

• DOT-approved full-face helmet and eye protection.
• Leather or abrasion-rated textile jacket with armor and gloves.
• Riding pants with knee and hip protection, plus over-the-ankle boots.

NHTSA has reported helmet use can cut the risk of brain injury by roughly 67 percent, and thousands of lives each year hinge on that choice. Bright colors or reflective accents make you pop in traffic.

Environmental and Roadway Conditions

Weather, surface changes, and visibility can flip a routine ride into trouble. Smaller contact patches and lean angles turn tiny flaws into real hazards for bikes.

Road Conditions

What feels like a bump in a car can be a tire-losing slide on a motorcycle. Scan wide and far, and set your line to avoid mid-corner surprises.

• Potholes, uneven pavement, and steel plates.
• Poor lighting, missing shoulders, and hidden driveways.
• Low branches, railroad tracks, gravel, sand, water, oil, leaves, and grass clippings.

Cross tracks or seams as upright as possible. If a patch looks shiny or dusty, treat it like ice.

Inclement Weather

Wet or foggy conditions cut traction and hide you from others. The first rain loosens oil and grime, which makes the surface extra slick.

Smart wet-weather habits help a lot on short rides and long ones alike:

1. Smooth throttle, brake, and steering inputs to keep grip.
2. Double your following distance and brake earlier than usual.
3. Avoid painted lines, metal covers, and tar snakes when leaning over.

If visibility drops or wind kicks hard, slow down and open a gap. There is no prize for arriving five minutes earlier with a shaky front tire.

Morain & Buckelew, LLC: We Are Here To Help

Riding is freedom, yet it asks for planning and a sharp eye. If someone’s careless act puts you on the ground, reach out to our team for steady guidance and a plan. Call (404) 448-3146 or visit our Contact Us page, and let us get to work while you focus on healing. Feel free to call us even if you just want to talk through next steps and timelines.