Motorcycle Season is upon us! Learn The Best Tips For Sharing The Road With Motorcycle Riders.

The roars of Harley-Davidsons and heavy bikes on the roads are the surefire sign that summer is here, and so is the motorcycle season. Motorcycle riders enjoy the thrill and excitement that comes with zooming on the roads and feeling the air through the hair.

But with all this fun and thrill, the rider and those sharing the road with them must take extra care to avoid crashes that can result in severe injuries and sometimes even deaths.

Did you know that according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 50% of the accidents related to motorcycles occur because of the negligence of other vehicle drivers such as car drivers, SUV drivers, and truckers?

In 2015, about 4956 motorcyclists were killed in road accidents, while 88,000 sustained severe injuries. But let’s look on the bright side, and that is that these numbers can be avoided and minimized if vehicle drivers follow specific tips to drive safely and cautiously. Read on to learn the tips to sharing the road with motorcycle riders:

Give Space to Riders

That’s right; to avoid an accident, it is essential to keep adequate space between your car and a motorcycle. As motorcycles are smaller than other vehicles on the roads, it is easier for motorcycle riders to pass through tight spaces. This is highly dangerous and not recommended, but motorcyclists often make these kinds of maneuvers. As a responsible car driver, you need to exercise caution by considering that a motorcyclist in your proximity can make such a move.

Make Sure to Check the Blind Spots

Since motorcycles are small in size, it is often hard to spot them, and besides this, the shape of motorcycles often blends into the images of the side and rearview mirrors. This increases the risk of accidents. Thus, you should check blind spots when changing or merging lanes. This will help you spot motorcycles, if any nearby, and avoid collisions.

Be Kind, Not a Bully

Sometimes large vehicle drivers like SUVs and pickup trucks can get a little aggressive when they see motorcyclists on the road. They tailgate, thus follow at a close distance to motivate the rider to speed up. This is highly dangerous as it creates a short braking distance. In addition to this, the motorcyclist may also get stressed and provoked to make unsafe maneuvers. This can further increase the chances of an accident.

So, instead, try to be kind and courteous to motorcycle riders. Maintain your distance and keep in mind that all drivers, regardless of the size of the vehicle, have the same right to be on the road.

Avoid Distractions

One of the leading causes of motorcycle accidents caused by another vehicle driver is distracted driving. When they see the road is empty and there is only a motorcyclist sharing a road with them, some drivers often relax and assume that it’s safe to use their smartphones. But that’s where the danger lies. Regardless of the number or types of vehicles on the road, you must pay full attention to the road, keeping distractions aside. Bending the rules can put you in trouble. So, avoid doing makeup or using the phone while driving.

All these activities make you lose focus from the road, and you may end up hitting a motorcyclist. Therefore, stay alert to motorcyclists’ movement in traffic as they can appear from nowhere and change their position and lanes.

Understand the Weather Warning

Bad weather is one of the leading causes of motorcycle accidents. Weather conditions like rain, snow, and ice can drastically affect motorcycle riders, making it impossible to ride in them safely. Windy conditions make it hard for motorcycle riders to control the vehicle, while rain makes it difficult to apply brakes and increases the chances of slipping.

However, bad weather conditions can reduce visibility and make it difficult to see motorcycles from an automobile driver’s perspective. Therefore, car drivers need to be extra cautious of motorcyclists when driving in bad weather as they can lose control of their bikes due to slippery road conditions, rain, and fog. They can accidentally skid and get in your way. So, drive carefully.

Be Cautious at the Intersections

The majority of the accidents that involve motorcycles and automobiles occur at intersections. Thus, we recommend that you follow safety protocols at intersections every time you approach one. This includes:

  • Coming to a complete halt when you reach the intersection
  • Obey the traffic signals and signs placed on the road
  • Look both ways
  • Proceed slowly

Broken motorcycle lying on road after fatal accident

What to do in Case an Accident occurs Because of a Motorcyclist’s Negligence?

Although approximately 50% of all motorcycle collisions involve other drivers, this doesn’t mean that they can never be at fault. Therefore, if you were practicing safety protocols and driving techniques and still had an accident with a motorcyclist because of their mistake, try not to worry. Contact our experienced lawyer in North Carolina for legal guidance and case representation.

At the Law Office of Jason E. Taylor P.C., we are here to help. We can provide you with step-by-step legal guidance on your case and help you defend it. If an accident occurs because of the motorcycle rider’s fault, we can fight to lower your liability.

Our lawyer in North Carolina will investigate the case in-depth and collect crucial evidence. It is necessary to prove that you are not guilty and were following traffic safety rules and regulations. Give us a chance to serve you. Schedule for a free case consultation today!

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Notice of Data Security Event
Updated March 28, 2025

The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor is providing notice of an event that may affect certain individuals’ information. Although we have no indication of identity theft or fraud in relation to this event, we are providing information about the event, our response, and additional measures individuals can take to help protect their information, should they feel it appropriate to do so.

What Happened? On October 28, 2024, The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor identified suspicious activity related to our email system. We quickly took steps to investigate and determined that an unknown actor may have accessed certain emails within our email system between August 7 and November 7, 2024. We then conducted a comprehensive review of the potentially affected emails and attachments to determine what information was contained therein and to whom the information related, which was completed on February 25, 2025. Unfortunately, we were unable to verify the addresses of certain affected individuals, so we are providing this notice to ensure potentially affected individuals receive information about the event.

What Information Was Involved? The information affected may include individuals’ Social Security number, driver’s license and state ID information, financial account number, and health information.

What We Are Doing. We are notifying individuals about this matter and providing guidance about free resources that are available to assist with monitoring relevant accounts, credit reports, and how to place a fraud alert or security freeze on one’s credit file. Further, as with our typical security practices, we will continue to evaluate our policies, procedures, staff training, and technical security measures to reduce the likelihood of an event like this reoccurring.

What Individuals Can Do. We encourage you to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud by reviewing your account statements and monitoring your free credit reports for suspicious activity and to detect errors. We also recommend you review the below “Steps Individuals Can Take To Help Protect Personal Information”.

For More Information. If individuals have questions about this matter, we have a dedicated assistance line with agents ready to answer their questions. Please contact our toll-free dedicated assistance line at 1-800-939-4170, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. through 9 p.m., excluding holidays. You may also write to us at The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor, Attn: Compliance, P.O. Box 2688, Hickory, NC 28603.

Sincerely,

The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor

STEPS INDIVIDUALS CAN TAKE TO HELP PROTECT PERSONAL INFORMATION

Monitor Your Accounts

Under U.S. law, a consumer is entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. To order a free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call, toll-free, 1-877-322-8228. Consumers may also directly contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below to request a free copy of their credit report.

Consumers have the right to place an initial or extended “fraud alert” on a credit file at no cost. An initial fraud alert is a 1-year alert that is placed on a consumer’s credit file. Upon seeing a fraud alert display on a consumer’s credit file, a business is required to take steps to verify the consumer’s identity before extending new credit. If consumers are the victim of identity theft, they are entitled to an extended fraud alert, which is a fraud alert lasting seven years. Should consumers wish to place a fraud alert, please contact any of the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below.

As an alternative to a fraud alert, consumers have the right to place a “credit freeze” on a credit report, which will prohibit a credit bureau from releasing information in the credit report without the consumer’s express authorization. The credit freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in a consumer’s name without consent. However, consumers should be aware that using a credit freeze to take control over who gets access to the personal and financial information in their credit report may delay, interfere with, or prohibit the timely approval of any subsequent request or application they make regarding a new loan, credit, mortgage, or any other account involving the extension of credit. Pursuant to federal law, consumers cannot be charged to place or lift a credit freeze on their credit report. To request a credit freeze, individuals may need to provide some or all of the following information:

1. Full name (including middle initial as well as Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.);
2. Social Security number;
3. Date of birth;
4. Addresses for the prior two to five years;
5. Proof of current address, such as a current utility bill or telephone bill;
6. A legible photocopy of a government-issued identification card (state driver’s license or ID card, etc.); and
7. A copy of either the police report, investigative report, or complaint to a law enforcement agency concerning identity theft if they are a victim of identity theft.

Should consumers wish to place a credit freeze or fraud alert, please contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below:

Equifax Experian TransUnion
https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/ https://www.experian.com/help/

https://www.transunion.com/credit-help
1-888-298-0045 1-888-397-3742 1-800-916-8800
Equifax Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 105069 Atlanta, GA 30348-5069 Experian Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013 TransUnion Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19016
Equifax Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 105788 Atlanta, GA 30348-5788 Experian Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013 TransUnion Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 160, Woodlyn, PA 19094

Additional Information

Consumers may further educate themselves regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, credit freezes, and the steps they can take to protect their personal information by contacting the consumer reporting bureaus, the Federal Trade Commission, or their state attorney general. The Federal Trade Commission may be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20580; www.identitytheft.gov; 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338); and TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The Federal Trade Commission also encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them. Consumers can obtain further information on how to file such a complaint by way of the contact information listed above. Consumers have the right to file a police report if they ever experience identity theft or fraud. Please note that in order to file a report with law enforcement for identity theft, consumers will likely need to provide some proof that they have been a victim. Instances of known or suspected identity theft should also be reported to law enforcement and the relevant state attorney general. This notice has not been delayed by law enforcement.

For District of Columbia residents, the District of Columbia Attorney General may be contacted at: 400 6th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001; 1-202-442-9828; and oag.dc.gov.

For Maryland residents, the Maryland Attorney General may be contacted at: 200 St. Paul Place, 16th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202; 1-410-576-6300 or 1-888-743-0023; and https://www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov/.

For New Mexico residents, consumers have rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, such as the right to be told if information in their credit file has been used against them, the right to know what is in their credit file, the right to ask for their credit score, and the right to dispute incomplete or inaccurate information. Further, pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the consumer reporting bureaus must correct or delete inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable information; consumer reporting agencies may not report outdated negative information; access to consumers’ files is limited; consumers must give consent for credit reports to be provided to employers; consumers may limit “prescreened” offers of credit and insurance based on information in their credit report; and consumers may seek damages from violators. Consumers may have additional rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act not summarized here. Identity theft victims and active-duty military personnel have specific additional rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act. We encourage consumers to review their rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act by visiting www.consumerfinance.gov/f/201504_cfpb_summary_your-rights-under-fcra.pdf, or by writing Consumer Response Center, Room 130-A, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20580.

For New York residents, the New York Attorney General may be contacted at: Office of the Attorney General, The Capitol, Albany, NY 12224-0341; 1-800-771-7755; or https://ag.ny.gov.

For North Carolina residents, the North Carolina Attorney General may be contacted at: 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-9001; 1-877-566-7226 or 1-919-716-6000; and www.ncdoj.gov.

For Rhode Island residents, the Rhode Island Attorney General may be reached at: 150 South Main Street, Providence, RI 02903; 1-401-274-4400; and www.riag.ri.gov. Under Rhode Island law, individuals have the right to obtain any police report filed in regard to this event.
STEPS INDIVIDUALS CAN TAKE TO HELP PROTECT A MINOR DEPENDENT’S PERSONAL INFORMATION

Typically, credit reporting agencies do not have a credit report in a minor’s name. To find out if a minor has a credit report or to request a manual search for a minor’s Social Security number each credit bureau has its own process. To learn more about these processes or request these services, consumers may contact the credit bureaus by phone, writing, or online:
Equifax Experian TransUnion
https://www.equifax.com/personal/help/article-list/-/h/a/request-child-credit-report/
https://www.experian.com/help/minor-request.html
https://www.transunion.com/fraud-victim-resources/child-identity-theft

1-800-685-1111 1-888-397-3742 1-800-916-8800
P.O. Box 105788
Atlanta, GA 30348-5788 P.O. Box 9554
Allen, TX 75013 P.O. Box 2000
Chester, PA 19016

To request information about the existence of a credit file in a minor’s name, search for a minor’s Social Security number, place a security freeze or fraud alert on a minor’s credit report (if one exists), or request a copy of a minor’s credit report consumers may be required to provide the following information:
● A copy of their driver’s license or another government issued identification card, such as a state identification card, etc.;
● Proof of address, such as a copy of a bank statement, utility bill, insurance statement, etc.;
● A copy of the minor’s birth certificate;
● A copy of the minor’s Social Security card;
● The minor’s full name, including middle initial and generation, such as JR, SR, II, III, etc.;
● The minor’s date of birth; and
● The minor’s previous addresses for the past two years.

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