Florida has a relatively high number of serious motorcycle accidents. Between 2010 and 2020, Florida had the fourth-highest motorcycle fatality rate. The state also had the highest raw number of motorcycle fatalities, beating out Texas and California for the deadliest state in the country.
New Port Richey, Florida, has a fairly small population. It does not experience heavy traffic for most of the day. And the city does not have an interstate freeway with fast speed limits running through it. Despite all of these favorable factors, motorcyclists in New Port Richey are much more likely to get into a crash than riders elsewhere in Florida.
Contact our law firm in New Port Richey today at (727) 815-8442 to schedule your free consultation with a top-rated personal injury attorney at Roman Austin Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers.
How Roman Austin Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Motorcycle Accident in New Port Richey, FL
The attorneys at Roman Austin Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers have over 60 years of combined experience representing accident victims in New Port Richey, Florida. They have recovered over $120 million in injury compensation for their clients.
Our New Port Richey motorcycle accident lawyers can help you by providing:
- A comprehensive evaluation and investigation of your motorcycle accident
- Legal advice and guidance at every stage of the process
- Aggressive negotiations with the at-fault party
- Top-notch representation in the courtroom if the other side refuses to offer a fair settlement
A motorcycle accident can disable or even kill an accident victim. To discuss the compensation you can get for these and other motorcycle crash injuries, contact Roman Austin Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation.
How Many Motorcycle Crashes Happen in New Port Richey?
In 2022, motorcyclists in New Port Richey were involved in 24 motorcycle crashes, according to the Florida Traffic Safety Dashboard. The city has a population of just under 17,000. This gives a motorcycle crash rate of 141 motorcycle crashes per 100,000 residents.
Florida had 9,120 motorcycle crashes that same year, according to the Florida Crash Dashboard. Based on Florida’s population of just over 22 million, the state had a motorcycle crash rate of 41 accidents per 100,000 people.
This means motorcyclists in New Port Richey were three and a half times more likely to get into a crash than those in the rest of the state.
Tips for Riding Your Motorcycle Safely
Roughly 60% of collisions between motorcycles and automobiles result from an error by the automobile driver. While these errors cause crashes, motorcyclists can sometimes minimize their impact.
Some motorcycle safety tips in New Port Richey include:
Wear a Helmet
Florida’s helmet law requires only riders under 21 and those without health insurance to wear a helmet. These exceptions make the helmet law virtually unenforceable.
But you should still wear a helmet. Riders who wear a helmet reduce their odds of a head injury by 69%. As a result, your odds of death go down by as much as 37%.
Watch Your Speed
A common cause of traffic accidents is speeding. Speeding reduces the time you have to react to road hazards and traffic conditions. It also increases the risk that you will lose control of your vehicle. Speed also makes crashes more harmful.
Pass Safely
Drivers do not always spot motorcycles on the road. This can happen almost anywhere. But a common location is on the roadways when drivers lose you in their blind spots.
You can reduce the risk of a lane change crash in a few ways:
- Stay out of drivers’ blind spots
- Pass quickly
- Do not cut other drivers off
It might seem unfair that you have to take extra care to avoid someone else’s carelessness. But sideswipe crashes can seriously injure or kill a motorcyclist.
Stay in Your Lane
Some states allow lane splitting. When motorcyclists split lanes, they travel on the lane lines between columns of slow or stopped cars. This practice reduces the risk of a rear-end collision in heavy traffic.
But Florida does not allow lane splitting. You can receive a traffic citation by riding on the lane lines rather than between the lines.
More importantly, you can surprise a driver by riding on lane lines in Florida. You could get hit by a vehicle attempting to change lanes, or a driver could strike you by opening their door.
Do Not Drink and Ride
Riding a motorcycle requires skill and balance. Drug or alcohol use has a severe effect on a rider’s:
- Balance
- Judgment
- Physical coordination
When you ride a motorcycle while intoxicated, you significantly increase the risk that you will hit a fixed object or another vehicle. You also have a much higher likelihood of putting yourself into a situation where another vehicle strikes your motorcycle.
For example, you could run a red light and get hit by another driver legally entering the intersection.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our New Port Richey Motorcycle Accident Lawyers
A motorcycle provides almost no protection from injuries in a motorcycle accident. Contact Roman Austin Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation to discuss your motorcycle crash and the compensation you can recover. Our New Port Richey motorcycle accident attorneys can help throughout the entire claims process.
Mark S. Roman
Board Certified Civil Trial Attorney and Founder
Mark S. Roman is the founder of Roman Austin Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers and a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer, a credential held by fewer than 2% of Florida attorneys. A Tampa Bay native, he has practiced throughout Florida since 1986 and founded the firm in 1996 to represent injured people in his hometown.
He earned a B.S. in Journalism from the University of Florida in 1981 and his J.D. from Florida State University College of Law in 1986. Mark is AV Rated by Martindale-Hubbell, holds a perfect 10 AVVO rating, and belongs to the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. He has served on the Florida Bar Grievance Committee for both Pinellas and Pasco counties, chairing the Pasco committee.
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