With its warm winters, Florida provides motorcycle riders with an opportunity to ride their bikes year round. There is a tremendous freedom in riding along Sarasota's roads on a motorcycle, but other motorists' lack of caution or attention can easily land a biker in the hospital with significant brain injuries. Sadly, a 27-year-old teacher and swimming coach at Hillsborough High School in Tampa recently suffered a serious head and neck injury, as well as several broken bones, when a pickup truck turned right into her path.

The 43-year-old driver of the 2003 Ford F-150 was travelling west on Hillsborough Avenue and had just passed the intersection with Falkenburg Road when he chose to ignore the teacher's right of way and made a left turn into a private business's driveway. The teacher was unable to avoid the collision and smashed into his truck as she drove east along Hillsborough.

Unfortunately, the woman was severely injured and rushed to the hospital in critical condition. She was admitted to Tampa General Hospital, but it is unclear when she is expected to be released or if there is any long-term or permanent damage. Sadly, if the pickup driver had paid a bit more attention to the road and the motorcycle that was clearly approaching, she would not be sitting in a hospital bed struggling to recover.

Motorcyclists deserve all the protections that any other motorist has and it is a true tragedy when drivers fail to pay sufficient attention to riders on the road. Because bikers do not have a car or truck to shield them from an impact, it is even more important that drivers recognize when motorcyclists are on the road and follow all traffic laws and safety precautions around them. As this story shows, failing to do so has dangerous consequences.

Source: The Tampa Tribune, "Hillsborough High teacher hospitalized after motorcycle accident," Rob Shaw, Feb. 20, 2012