Motorcycle vehicle accidents are a common occurrence in San Francisco and across San Francisco County, California. Many motorcyclists use this form of transportation to efficiently navigate the crowded roadways of this teeming city. Since motorcycles are much more difficult for motor-vehicle drivers and mass-transportation vehicles to see, a motorcyclist is at a significantly higher risk of injury in a collision. 

San Francisco motorcycle crashes have common causes and devastating outcomes

While helmets and anti-lock brakes make motorcycling safer, riding a motorcycle is riskier than driving a car. Maintaining control is more difficult on two wheels, and when collisions happen, motorcyclists are at greater risk of serious injury or death because they don't have an enclosed vehicle or safety belts for protection. Get more information here from the California Highway Patrol about motorcycle safety.

Common causes of motorcycle crashes include:

• Vehicles turning left: Statistically, the most dangerous situation for a motorcyclist occurs when cars are making left-hand turns. These collisions account for 42% of all crashes between motorcycles and other vehicles.
• Head-on collisions: The vast majority of motorcycle crashes with cars occur when they collide head-on. These head-on crashes result in a higher fatality rate than other types of crashes.
• Lane Splitting: Lane splitting refers to when a motorcyclist drives between two lanes of cars, usually in heavy traffic when car movement is slowed or stopped.
• Speeding and alcohol impairment: Statistically, approximately half of single-vehicle motorcycle crashes have speeding and alcohol use as factors.
• Crashes between motorcycles and stationary objects: Motorcyclists crashing with fixed objects result in 25% of motorcyclist deaths.
• Road hazards: Hazards such as potholes, icy conditions, uneven lanes, and debris in the road pose significant danger to motorcyclists.

Get information on motorcycle crashes from the San Francisco Police Department

The San Francisco Metropolitan Police Department offers information on traffic and accidents, and also provides information on filing a police report or obtaining a copy of a police report. The department is a good resource for locals and visitors alike to get assistance after a motorcycle crash. The San Francisco Fire Department also offers information on Emergency Medical Services that may have been utilized after a motorcycle collision in the city or county.

California's Department of Motor Vehicles provides information on traffic and safety laws

Go here to learn more about traffic, road construction, and other topics including: current road conditions; Caltrans transportation projects; current road construction projects that may affect travel; live traffic cameras; California road maps.

When someone is injured in a Bay Area motorcycle crash, what needs to happen next?

In an injury accident, it is crucial to get appropriate medical treatment, regardless of the financial cost. The major hospitals in the area include: SAN FRANCISCO

• California Pacific Medical Center
• Saint Francis Memorial Hospital
• San Francisco General Hospital
• St. Mary's Medical Center
• UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital

OAKLAND

• Highland General Hospital
• Children's Hospital & Research
• Alameda Health System

SAN JOSE

• Regional Medical Center of San Jose
• Good Samaritan Hospital
• Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center
• O'Connor Hospital
• Santa Clara Valley Medical Center
• El Camino Hospital Los Gatos

As soon as possible, an injured person should contact their insurance company to find out how medical treatment is covered under their insurance policy.

When a motorcycle accident is serious or fatal, it is crucial to find a San Francisco motorcycle accident lawyer

When an injury is serious or a death occurs, the next step is to find an experienced San Francisco motorcycle accident attorney to start the financial recovery process by launching an insurance claim. Major injury or wrongful death claims are complicated and difficult to manage. Having a San Francisco accident lawyer on board is a great relief to injured people, or to the family left behind when an accident proves fatal.