Motorcyclists are faced with an inherent danger just by the fact
that they are smaller than other vehicles on the road. A high
percentage of motorcycle accidents are caused by failure to
yield violations, often a left turn in front of a motorcycle.
Often the violator’s excuse is “I didn’t see him”, or “I made a
left turn and it (the motorcycle) came out of nowhere”. There
has even been legislation to increase the penalties for
offenders in motorcycle accidents, for instance, the Pickholtz
Act in Louisiana, and there are motorcycle organizations like
the Motorcycle Awareness Campaign and American Motorcycle
Association working to increase awareness of riders on our roads
and highways. Despite these efforts, the right of way violation
issue remains a big problem for motorcyclists. According to the
Hurt Study (the most comprehensive motorcycle safety study to
date), 77% of two vehicle motorcycle accidents occur in the 10,
11, 12, 1, and 2 o’clock positions of the motorcycle. The area
behind the rider, accounts o