Thursday, May 30, 2013

CA - San Diego Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Comments on Proposed Lane-Splitting Review

OFF THE WIRE

http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1272010
San Diego Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Jeff Nadrich Comments on Proposed Lane-Splitting Review

 >PRWEB.COM Newswire
San Diego, CA (PRWEB) May 28, 2013

The California Office of Traffic Safety is conducting a yearlong review of motorcycle crashes, and the data will specifically look out how many such crashes involved—or were possibly caused by—lane-splitting, this according to a new report from the Press-Enterprise. Lane-splitting is the process by which motorcyclists drive along the lane dividers, squeezing between vehicles. California is the only state in the nation that allows this practice.
According to the Press-Enterprise, three motorcyclists have already died this year due to lane-splitting in the Inland Empire alone. “Because lane-splitting has become a hot topic and motorcycle fatalities have been a problem for years, we wanted to do a more in-depth look at the crashes and add lane-splitting as a variable that hasn’t been looked at before,” Office of Traffic Safety spokesman Chris Cochran told the Press-Enterprise in a telephone interview. “We want to have actual hard facts. Is lane-splitting dangerous or not? There’s no good data on it.”
As the Press-Enterprise points out, the sudden focus on lane-splitting may have something to do with the rising number of motorcycles on the road. In 2001, there were about 500,000 registered motorcycles in the state, and by 2010, that number was up to more than 800,000, this according to the most recent available CHP data.
San Diego motorcycle accident lawyer Jeff Nadrich believes that while motorcycle safety is paramount, all motorists bear bear a legal responsibility when it comes to lane-splitting. According to Nadrich, “Lane-splitting is perfectly safe under most circumstances, and in fact, it can actually prevent many accidents from occurring. But quite often, other drivers just aren't on the lookout for motorcyclists, and that's where we run into trouble.”
Nadrich urges anyone who has been involved in a motorcycle to contact a qualified legal professional right away.