Drinking Alcohol Before Riding A Motorcycle A Leading Accident Cause

A longstanding cause of motorcycle accidents is drinking alcohol before riding a motorcycle. Various statistics continue to show that a large percentage of motorcycle crashes – including fatal motorcycle accidents – is caused by impaired motorcyclists. While there are many reasons as to why motorcyclists become involved in an accident – many of which are not their fault – “drinking before riding” is perhaps the leading cause of motorcycle accidents that are the fault of the rider.

While there are many reasons as to why drinking alcohol before riding a motorcycle is dangerous, perhaps the main reason is that the motorcyclist, if drunk, can’t maintain the fine balance needed to safely ride the motorcycle. A loss of motorcycle control accident is likely to happen if balance can’t be maintained. As seen in many motorcycle accidents – including those seen so far in 2018 – loss of motorcycle control often causes crashes that involve serious accident injuries. Many such loss of control crashes have been fatal, especially those that happen at higher speeds and lead to the rider (and, if applicable, passenger) being ejected from the bike.

There was a Will County motorcycle crash in Montgomery after which the motorcyclist was charged with DUI. The accident and subsequent charges are discussed in the June 18, 2018 Montgomery Patch article titled “Motorcyclist Gets DUI After Crash: Montgomery Police Reports.” An excerpt:

Michael Bradley, 25, of the 100 block of Franklin Avenue, Aurora, was charged with DUI after police say he lost control of his motorcycle near Orchard and Galena roads. Police responded to a the single-vehicle accident at around 1:40 a.m. June 14. Police said an item fell off Bradley’s motorcycle, causing him to drive over it, lose control and crash. Officers saw that Bradley showed signs of intoxication, police said.

Additional details regarding this drinking alcohol before riding a motorcycle traffic safety problem can be seen in the sources mentioned above.

Manhattan Car Rollover Accident That Caused Critical Injuries

There was a car rollover accident that caused critical injuries Thursday (June 7) night on U.S. Route 52 in Manhattan. The driver, a 38-year-old woman, was critically injured in the crash.

According to the Manhattan Police Department, police responded to the accident scene, which was at U.S. 52 and Smith Road, at 11:54 p.m. Police found a car that had rolled over onto its roof near the Cubby Holes storage facility.

The driver was pinned in the car due to the crash and had to be extricated. Among her injuries was a significant head injury. The woman was taken to Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox with critical injuries.

The cause of the accident is currently undetermined. The accident investigation is being conducted by the Will County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Reconstruction Unit.

Additional details and possible updates concerning this Will County car rollover accident that caused critical injuries can be seen in a variety of media sources, including the June 8, 2018 Manhattan Patch article titled “Rollover Crash In Manhattan Critically Wounds Woman.”

Additional discussion of car rollover accidents can be found on the Will County Car Rollover Accidents page. As discussed on that page, there are many reasons as to why rollover crashes tend to cause significant, if not life-threatening, injuries. Serious injuries are especially likely to occur if vehicle occupants are not wearing seat belts at the time of the accident.

While there are many factors that can cause a vehicle to roll over, there is a common set of circumstances that can increase the probability that the car or other vehicle will roll. Due to physical forces involved, car rollovers are more likely to occur at higher speeds. As seen on the rollover page mentioned above:

nearly ¾ of fatal rollovers took place where the posted speed limit was 55 miles per hour or higher.

Additional details can be seen in the sources mentioned above.

Driving While Impaired By Drugs Involvement In Fatal Crashes

Driving while impaired by drugs is becoming increasingly common, and, in addition to drunk driving, continues to be a significant traffic safety issue both nationally as well as locally, such as in Will County as well as throughout the Chicago area. This “drugged driving” can include many drugs, with commonly-involved drugs including marijuana, heroin, meth, and cocaine. If “mixed drug use” occurs, the level of impairment can increase. As well, if alcohol is used with the drugs, an increased level of impairment can occur. The subject of drug-impaired driving is further discussed on the “Vehicle Accidents Involving Drivers Under The Influence Of Drugs” page. Various Cook County accidents in which the driver was impaired by drugs are mentioned. As seen in these accidents, many result in serious injuries, and some of these injuries resulted in fatalities.

Driving while impaired by drugs is the subject of the May 31, 2018 Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) press release (with full report) titled “Marijuana, Opioids Most Common Drugs Found in Fatally Injured Drivers.”

Two excerpts from the press release:

A new report from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) finds that in 2016, 44% of fatally-injured drivers with known results tested positive for drugs, up from 28% just 10 years prior. More than half of these drivers had marijuana, opioids, or a combination of the two in their system.

also:

“Too many people operate under the false belief that marijuana or opioids don’t impair their ability to drive, or even that these drugs make them safer drivers,” noted GHSA Executive Director Jonathan Adkins. “Busting this myth requires states to expand their impaired driving campaigns to include marijuana and opioids along with alcohol to show drivers that impairment is impairment, regardless of substance.”

Additional details concerning this driving while impaired by drugs and alcohol issue can be seen in the sources mentioned above.

On this site, Will County accidents involving the driver’s use of drugs and/or alcohol can be seen in posts found under the “DUI” category.