June 14, 2013 Motor vehicle accidents involving motorcycles are a serious problem in New York. In fact, the number of motorcyclists in the region has grown by as much as 30 percent, which has led to more crashes. A total of 5,570 motorcycle accidents occurred in 2010 across the state, which resulted in 180 lives being lost. More than half of those accidents involved another vehicle. In an effort to curb these crashes, New York State Senator Patty Ritchie has sponsored a Motorcycle Accident Law aimed at increasing awareness of motorcycles on the road. The law calls for motorcycle safety awareness and training to be required in the Department of Motor Vehicle’s pre-licensing training courses. The bill passed through the state senate on a unanimous vote and will now go before the general assembly for approval. An article from Oswego County Today explains the senator also recently battled the growing problem by partnering with the New York State Thruway to post safety messages on electronic displays along the highway from Buffalo to New York City. Some of those messages included, “Watch For Motorcycles” and “Share The Road”. Data indicates that the messages were seen by as many as 750,000 motorists while they were displayed. The Personal Injury Lawyers with William Mattar Law Offices hope the bill is successful in reducing the number of motorcycle crashes in the state.
Senator Introduces New York Motorcycle Training Law to Prevent Crashes