How Distracted Driving Laws Help Prevent Motorcycle Accident Deaths

Distracted driving is a major cause of accidents in the United States, killing an average of 9 Americans every day. Many states have passed laws penalizing drivers who text and drive or who use their cell phones in general while driving.

Unfortunately, these laws have not yet shown a significant impact on the number of distracted driving deaths overall. But even though these laws don’t lower the number of deaths across the board, laws on distracted driving have been shown to drastically reduce the number of motorcycle accident deaths. One major reason for this is that motorcyclists are more likely than other drivers to be victims of distracted driving accidents.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a motorcycle accident, contact the Khalidi Law Firm. We have decades of experience helping people like you get the closure you deserve. Contact us today for a free initial consultation.

Statistics on Motorcyclists and Distracted Driving

A recent study from the Florida Atlantic University and the University of Miami found that laws banning or limiting drivers’ use of cell phones and other devices have seriously reduced the rates of motorcycle fatalities.

Dr. Gulcin Gumus, one of the co-authors of the study, says, “While it’s not clear that these laws have had an impact on reducing the overall number of traffic fatalities, when we focus specifically on motorcycles, we find that these laws are having a major impact in reducing deaths among motorcycle riders.”

Why Are Motorcyclists More Affected by Distracted Driving Laws?

One of the reasons that motorcyclists seem to be much more affected by distracted driving laws is that they are more likely to be the victims of distracted driving accidents. This makes a lot of intuitive sense: if these accidents are caused by distraction, it’s a lot easier to miss a tiny motorcycle than it is to miss a full-sized car.

Researchers are disappointed that distracted driving laws appear to have only a limited effect on the number of deaths overall. However, they emphasize that the fact that they can measure a decline in motorcycle deaths proves that legislation can have a real effect on the safety of our roads. In other words, bans on texting while driving may not be a perfect solution to the distracted driving problem, but they can save lives.

Have You Been Involved in a Motorcycle Accident?

While motorcycle accidents can be caused by error of the motorcycle driver, there are times when negligence of another vehicle driver leads to an accident. When serious injury or death is caused by another, it is important to seek legal help to get the justice you and your loved ones deserve. Our motorcycle attorneys at the Khalidi Law Firm have decades of experience helping clients move on with their lives.