Motorcycle Accidents Caused by Drinking and Riding

 Posted on June 27, 2014 in Criminal Law

Drinking and driving is widely understood to be a dangerous and possibly life-ending activity. And throughout the past decades several national and statewide practices have been enacted with the aim of curbing drunk driving and fatalities caused by it. For motorcyclists, however, the message can often get lost in the context of the subculture of motorcycles, at least according to Motorcycle.com. Motorcycle.com notes how the subculture that surrounds riding often involves drinking, and the incentive to stop drinking and riding has "done anything but gone away."

Massive riding festivals encourage pit stops for drinking at local bars, and cyclist bar hopping is a common activity anywhere in the country. Some motorcycle clubs have, of course, stepped up and spoken against this practice, issuing rules that riders cannot drink until the bike is parked for the evening. Regardless, drinking and riding is a serious issue that continues to cost the lives of many cyclists. More than 45 percent of all riders killed in accidents, repots Motorcycle.com using statistics from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, "have alcohol in their system at the time of death."

But there is more. Cyclists killed in accidents are 2.5 times more likely than passenger vehicle drivers to have alcohol in their system—a fact that is indicative of the sometimes dangerously permissive air that surrounds motorcycle culture. Despite increased awareness of the problem, it does not seem to be getting better. While the number of drivers involved in a fatal crash with a BAC of .08 or higher decreased six percent in 2007, the number of motorcyclists with a BAC of .08 or higher actually increased by 10 percent.

A common misconception among cyclists is that "you enjoy your ride better if you have one beer," according to Motorcycle.com, and another is that if a rider can just mount the bike and get it started—no matter how many beers he has had—he will be fine. Statistics point to the fact that neither of these perceptions is true.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a motorcycle accident in which alcohol was a factor and you were not at fault, you may be eligible for compensation. Do not go through it alone. Contact Scott F. Anderson, Attorney at Law for a free initial consultation in Illinois today.