Sitting right along the white sands of the Gulf Coast, Venice boasts 14 miles of pristine Florida beaches. This is the perfect sort of setting for hopping on your bike and enjoying the salty breeze as you take advantage of a picturesque day, but you want your ride to end just as nicely as it started. When Venice motorcyclists decide to seize the day with a ride, they expect to be able to return home safely and happily to ride another day.

Motorcycle Accidents In Florida

Most of the time, a motorcycle accident in Venice is a serious accident. Unlike auto accidents when one may be likely to walk away with bumps, bruises, and a few dents in the car, even low-speed accidents can prove particularly dangerous for motorcyclists. Motorcycle fatalities in Florida have doubled in the last two decades, with an average of 550 fatalities per year between the years 2016-2021.

As of 2022, Florida ranked 4th in the United States in fatal motorcycle accidents. In areas like Venice, where the location is perfect for a freeing Florida afternoon ride, motorcyclists need to be particularly careful to make sure they don’t become part of this statistic.

Common Motorcycle Accident Situations And How To Avoid Them

While motorcycle accidents don’t have a “blueprint” to follow, there are some patterns to be seen among common motorcycle accident situations. Knowing how to avoid or safely get out of these situations can be the difference between staying safe on Venice roadways or finding yourself in a dangerous situation. Some common motorcycle accident situations and how to avoid them are:

• Lane switching accidents – Lane-switching accidents are common, and they’re potentially deadly when a motorcycle is involved. Your motorcycle may be traveling in the blind spot of a vehicle, the vehicle may fail to signal, and suddenly you see the vehicle beginning to merge into your lane while you’re traveling alongside.

To avoid an accident, the first thing a motorcyclist should do is either slow down or speed up to get out of the way of the merging vehicle. In many of these instances, the vehicle may not see the motorcyclist in their blind spot, and the sound or sudden appearance of the motorcycle can be enough for the driver to stop the merge. Practicing defensive driving can help motorcyclists to stay away from potentially distracted drivers, including keeping an eye on vehicles that may swerve or drive erratically on multi-lane roadways. Distracted drivers are more likely to merge without signaling or thoroughly checking the area around their vehicle.

• Head-on collisions – Head-on collisions contribute to a number of fatal motorcycle accidents in Florida and the United States. Avoiding a head-on collision means following the 4 R’s – Read the road, keep to the right, reduce speed, ride off the roadway. Reading the road can help motorcyclists to see potentially hazardous drivers up ahead. Keeping to the right makes it easier to get out of the way of an oncoming vehicle. Reducing speed provides more reaction time to avoid collision. As a last resort, riding off the road can help to avoid a collision without colliding with other drivers.

• Avoiding intoxicated driving accidents – Intoxicated drivers are some of the most dangerous drivers on Florida roadways. If motorcyclists on Venice roadways see drivers driving erratically, swerving, or switching speeds, they should pull over and allow the motorist to move far away from their route of travel. When spotting a suspected intoxicated driver, it’s always recommended to notify law enforcement in Venice.

Motorcyclists in Venice should be able to enjoy their rides without worrying about making it home safe. If you’ve been in a motorcycle accident in the Venice area, see how we can help at JusticePays.com today.