Manassas Virginia Motor Vehicle Accidents Law Blog

Many in Manassas may envy the freedom that motorcycles offer, yet few likely would want to be faced with the lack of personal protection bikers have in accidents. There is virtually nothing protecting a rider from the road should he or she be struck by (or collide with) another vehicle. That may be why many fail to understand why any motorcyclist would disagree with laws that would require him or her to wear a protective helmet. Per Virginia's Department of Motor Vehicles, such equipment is 29 percent effective at preventing death and 67 percent effective in preventing brain injuries in motorcycle accidents. 

Virginia law does indeed require motorcyclists to wear helmets. Section 46.2-910 of the state's Motor Vehicle Code states that both riders and passengers must wear helmets at all times while riding on a bike. The only exceptions to this rule are when they are traveling less than 15 mph or when they are participating in a motorcycle parade organized by local municipalities or the state's Department of Transportation.

Despite having been available in areas like Manassas since 2010, many local residents are still unfamiliar with the concept of ride-sharing. Those just becoming acquainted with companies like Uber will likely first want to know how safe they are before committing to using them. Unfortunately, ride-sharing accident statistics are still difficult to find. This is due to the both the practice being fairly new, as well as the fact that no official method exists for documenting ride-sharing accidents. Per information shared by The Chicago Tribune, law enforcement authorities may not even think to document whether a vehicle involved in a collision was driven by an Uber driver since such drivers use their own personal cars. 

Many may be willing to overlook the lack of safety data to use ride-sharing services provided that they know insurance coverage is available should they be in an accident. Uber maintains coverage for their drivers in certain scenarios, such as when they have the app on, or when they are driving to a location to pick up a fare. That coverage also extends to when they are transporting passengers. According to Uber's website, the company offers $1 million in third party liability insurance that will help cover a passenger's medical expenses when he or she is involved in an accident in which the Uber driver is at fault. If the driver that struck an Uber vehicle is at fault yet does not have auto insurance, Uber also offers $1 million in uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage to assist passengers. 

In Manassas and many other cities all over the nation, motorists find themselves frequently sharing the road with cyclists. This has much to do with many cities adding in bike lanes, which are intended to allow cyclists to safely traverse the roads along with vehicles. Accordingly, Bicyclist.com offers these tips to ensure motorists can safely share the road with cyclists.

Open Doors With Caution

When cars collide with pedestrians in Manassas, it is not difficult to guess who gets the worst of it. Should such an accident occur on a sidewalk, it may also not be difficult to guess who is at fault. Yet when pedestrians enter the roadway, the question of liability becomes somewhat murkier. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that as recently as 2013, 4,735 pedestrians were killed and another 66,000 were injured after being struck by cars. Many of those accidents undoubtedly occurred on roads, where many may assume that cars have the right-of-way. Yet is that true? 

According to the Code of Virginia, the answer to that questions depends on the circumstances of the accident. Pedestrians should not attempt to enter the roadway at the middle of the road where there is not a clearly marked crosswalk. While common sense might tell a driver to stop to avoid hitting a pedestrian anywhere on the road, a pedestrian may not be able to blame a driver for not stopping for him or her if he or she is not in a crosswalk, as there are no visible signs to indicate pedestrians might be in the road at such locations.