Driving is a Privilege, Living is a Right

[XLFD]

The Supreme Court has affirmed the right of all Americans to travel within this country, and some have interpreted that to mean driving a motor vehicle is a right.  But it is almost universally accepted that one's driving poses a risk to other people's health and property, so the state has the power to issue licenses showing that you have met specific requirements and agreed to uphold certain responsibilities essential for road safety.

An accident that happened late last week has left a 60-year-old woman motorcyclist in critical condition through no fault of her own.  She was traveling just north of Scottville on northbound US 31, when a 24-year-old car driver incautiously pulled out in front of her.  One can say that there were 'contributing factors' involved in this incident, with the detour at the north end of Scottville Road making this section of highway more hazardous, especially for left turns.  Ironically, this 'hazardous left turn' excuse was the rationale provided for moving the detour from Johnson Road to this location which seems to allow for safer left turns.   

But not in this case.  The driver failed to yield the right-of-way to the motorcyclist riding legally down the highway.  And while it is more difficult to see up the highway when the right turn lane off of the highway has vehicles backed up, it is not impossible to advance so that you can look around them, while not advancing into the lane and having a motorcyclist travelling near the center line hit your car and if they don't immediately die, have sever life-changing injuries that were all your fault.  

Law enforcement has a duty and obligation to the public to hold such unsafe driving practices as a violation of the law, and this motorist should have been charged with a misdemeanor dependent only upon how serious the injuries were to the victim of their negligence.  This happens routinely for those motorists who pull out in front of other motorists causing a crash.  But for some reason, motorcycle victims are not afforded such protection from having their right-of-way violated, even when they often pay the ultimate price in such collisions.

AMBER TOWNSHIP (MCP) — A motorcyclist was seriously injured Thursday, Aug. 21, as a result of a vehicle crash at the intersection of US 31 and North Scottville Road. Emergency crews were dispatched to the scene at 3:49 p.m.

According to Mason County Sheriff Kim Cole, a 2010 Dodge Challenger automobile, driven by a 24-year-old Scottville man, was on Scottville Road and was attempting to make a left turn onto southbound US 31. The man apparently failed to see a northbound motorcycle, driven by a 60-year-old Manistee woman, and struck the motorcycle.

The intersection has experienced a higher volume of traffic due to a detour caused by construction in Scottville. The crash caused traffic backups.

The driver of the Challenger told deputies that he did not see the motorcycle due to several vehicles that were also northbound on US 31 that were slowing to turn right onto Scottville Road. As a result, the motorcycle struck the Challenger on the driver’s side.

The driver of the motorcycle received critical injuries in the crash and was transported by ambulance to Corewell Health Ludington Hospital. The driver of the vehicle reported no injuries.

Responding emergency crews included Mason County Sheriff’s Office, Scottville Fire Department, Custer Fire Department, and Life EMS.

Motorists traveling through the US 31 and Scottville Road intersection are encouraged to obey traffic laws and come to a complete stop and be extra alert about oncoming traffic.

The case remains under investigation by the Mason County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Team. [END article]

View from the end of Scottville Road before one turns left on the Scottville bypass.  Even with a full right lane, one can see a long way up the bypass.

Motorcyclists, including bicyclists and other legal users of the road, deserve to have their right-of-way affirmed by enforcement agencies in accidents like these where the facts show reckless or careless driving caused them to be victimized.  Too often, driver inattention is forgiven even when the victims die or are permanently disabled.