Drivers, riders should take extra precautions on the road
Last week The Bee reported (story, Nov. 1) that a local jury denied a motorcycle accident victim’s multi-million dollar claim against the City of Fresno for failing to have a traffic light-controlled left-turn lane at Cedar Avenue and Bulldog Lane.
The victim had previously accepted a $15,000 settlement from the at-fault motorist’s insurance company. Local accident investigators determined the driver made an unsafe U-turn into the oncoming motorcyclist’s path. By DMV rules, the motorcyclist had the right of way through the intersection.
However here are some tips:
▪ In 96 percent of left-turn intersection fatalities between cars and motorcycles, car drivers say they didn’t see the cyclist.
▪ Riders should always assume drivers don’t see them and prepare to stop or maneuver.
▪ Motorcycles cannot stop on a dime. At just 40 mph, even a skilled rider travels 60 feet before a full emergency stop. And that is after the few seconds it takes to see the car, quickly decide, then urgently apply both front and rear brakes.
The life you save may be yours, mine or a neighbor’s!
Al Perry, Fresno
This story was originally published November 8, 2017 at 12:35 PM with the headline "Drivers, riders should take extra precautions on the road."