Advice for Motorcyclists to avoid being hit by driver coming out of a side road

We should never forget that there are always road accident risks, which is why we all need to do our part to make sure we follow the Highway Code to reduce and prevent accidents from happening.

Needless to say, road traffic accidents can be very dangerous. Many accidents to motorbike riders cause serious injury, and can tragically be fatal. With other drivers often finding it harder to spot motorcyclists, as well as their lack of protection when compared to a car, they’re usually at a much greater risk.

One extremely common collision is where a driver of a car comes out of a side road and into the path of an oncoming motorcyclist… leaving no time for the motorcyclist to brake or swerve.

When a motorist is joining another road (most commonly at a junction) he or she needs to pay attention to whether there is a ‘stop’ or ‘give way’ either attached to a sign on a pole or painted on the road itself.

If in doubt, caution must always be taken to expect the worst and a driver must slow down to check its safe to manoeuvre out.

Rule 171 of the Highway Code along with s36 of the Road Traffic Act and Regulations 10 and 16 of The Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions, all say that you must stop and wait behind a ‘stop’ sign or line.

Repeated checks must be made to both side of the road to make sure it is clear for joining. Rule 170 of the Highway Code gives instructions to:

Unfortunately, too many cars don’t always check properly, leading to serious collisions. According the government’s Think initiative, in the UK, motorcyclists are around 38% more likely to be killed on the road than someone in a car. In 2013, 4,866 motorcyclists were seriously injured after being in a road collision in Great Britain.

Motorcyclists sometimes have no option but to look out for themselves, even when the duty of care is solely on the other motorist. This often means:

Caution must be taken by all road users at all times. If you are a motorcyclist and you have had a road traffic accident that was not your fault (having followed the Think Bike and the Highway Code rules), you may be eligible to claim compensation for any injuries you suffer. You may also be able to recover any lost earnings if you had any time off work to recover from your injuries.