Getting a bad rap ? and getting justice

Posted by Felix Luois on November 13th, 2018

It’s fair to say large segments of society take a rather dim view of people who ride motorcycles. Bikers have had a pretty bad reputation over the years, thanks to depictions in the media, films, and certain biker gangs that have a criminal element to them.

Motorcycles are also seen as being inherently dangerous vehicles. Riders are seen as being reckless and dangerous, too. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of misinformation based on ugly stereotypes and the actions of a rogue minority.

Every time a motorcyclist goes out on the road and causes trouble it makes every decent biker look bad. It makes local law enforcement less friendly, and it may actually put the lives of other bikers at risk, as motorists are quicker to anger when it comes to mistakes made by people on bikes.

Here are some basic tips on how to be a responsible motorcyclist.

• This can’t be said enough: alcohol and motorcycles do not mix. One of the ugliest stereotypes is that of the drunken biker, and there is no argument that can be made to justify riding when you are over the legal limit.
• Bikes can go fast. Faster than almost anything else on the road, except some of the most exotic millionaire’s toys. That doesn’t mean that a public road is the place to go fast. If you want to test the limits of your machine, then do it right. Call your local track and find out what you need in order to take part in a track day.
• Lane splitting is when a motorcyclist drives on the line that divides two lanes. First of all, it’s absolutely illegal in B.C., but in general it’s tolerated as just something that bikers do.  
• Motorists are not obliged to leave you enough space to do it. They don’t expect traffic to be running on the dividing line of the lane, and biker lane splitters do so at their own peril.
• Public roads are not the place to practice stunt riding. You can find a safer place to practice wheelies and stoppies than a public space shared by innocent road users.

Motorcyclists are, for the majority of the time, safe and courteous drivers. They need to be, because they’re so exposed on the road. Motorcyclists know that good driving keeps them as safe as possible.

When motorcyclists are in an accident, the first thing they need to do (besides attending to any injuries, of course) is hire an experienced personal injury lawyer.

That’s where the special expertise of Helpforme comes in. Besides their deep knowledge of and expertise in ICBC claims, a number of Helpforme lawyers are motorcyclists themselves. They know that bikers aren’t automatically at fault and can guide you through every step of the ICBC claim process.

Helpforme has one of the largest groups of personal injury lawyers under one roof in BC. They’re your personal advocates to help you through the complexities of an ICBC claim, ensuring you get the settlement or court award you deserve. And Helpforme has contingency-based fees, so you don’t pay until your claim is resolved. Find out how Helpforme can help you.