Virginia Beach police officers have issued a warning, asking drivers to be more aware of motorcyclists and motorcycle safety. The warning comes in the wake of an officer getting injured while riding a motorcycle earlier this month.
On a recent Thursday, a Virginia Beach officer was on duty while riding his patrol motorcycle. He was heading to investigate a car accident that involved injuries close to London Bridge Road. Although the officer had illuminated his emergency lights and activated his siren, he was struck by a Nissan sport utility vehicle. Miraculously, the officer survived the accident with injuries that were not life-threatening injuries. As of last reports, he was already back to work.
The unfortunate incident inspired police to speak out about motorcycle safety. A police spokesperson stated that officers have been reporting to more motorcycle crashes than ever recently, and during the first six months of 2017, they had received 130 calls about motorcycle crashes. That represents a dramatic increase to the 103 in the same time period last year.
Police are urging motorcyclists to be aware of their limitations. They’re asking motorists to watch out motorcyclists to prevent unintentional collisions. They’re requesting that all drivers give extra room to any motorcycle police officers running their sirens and lights. Finally, they’re urging motorists to wait a brief moment before entering an intersection after a light turns green to be certain that the way is clear.
Motorcyclists hurt by negligent vehicle drivers due to no fault of their own may have viable claims to pursue personal injury damages in Virginia civil court. An experienced lawyer can evaluate the facts and evidence surrounding a motorcycle accident case to determine whether an injured rider has a viable claim in this regard.
Source: wavy.com, “Va. Beach police remind drivers to keep motorcycle safety in mind,” Kara Dixon, Aug. 10, 2017