Randy Gene Ector Jr., 28, was airlifted to the hospital after his motorcycle was hit by a car on Sunday, Feb. 20, in Burlington, N.C. The driver of the car, Glenda Fay Brown, 43, was cited with failure to yield the right-of-way, news reports said.

Ector, who is a member of the Greensboro Police Department, was driving a 2007 Kawasaki motorcycle west on North Fisher Street when the wreck occurred about 4:20 p.m. Ector, who lives in Burlington, was off duty at the time of the accident.

If you ride a motorcycle, you know it can be dangerous out there. Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – and common sense – tell us that motorcyclists are more at risk for serious injuries than passenger car occupants.

In this accident, Burlington police said, Brown had stopped her 2000 Pontiac at the stop sign on Fulton Street at North Fisher Street. She then drove into the intersection and hit the motorcycle. The NHTSA reports that about 50 percent of all fatal two-vehicle crashes involving a motorcycle and a passenger vehicle were intersection crashes.

Ector was taken by helicopter to UNC Hospital in Chapel Hill, where he was in fair condition Monday. Brown was not seriously injured.

We hope that Officer Ector can recover fully and quickly from his injuries.

Damage to Brown's vehicle is estimated at $2,500; damage to the motorcycle is estimated at $9,500.

It’s a simple fact that motorcycles are smaller and harder to see than cars and trucks. It’s also harder to judge the speed and distance of an approaching motorcycle than with larger vehicles. Every motorist should make it his or her personal policy to take driving seriously and stay aware of every type of vehicle on the road.

The NHTSA provides a fact sheet with tips on how to avoid accidents with motorcycles. Examples:

• Allow the motorcyclist a full lane width.
• Remember that a motorcyclist can be hidden in a vehicle’s blind spot or missed in a quick look due to its smaller size.
• Remember that road conditions that are minor annoyances to motorists can pose major hazards to motorcyclists. Riders may change speed or adjust position within a lane suddenly in reaction to potholes, gravel, wet or slippery surfaces, railroad crossings, and other obstacles.

And motorcyclists should make sure they are doing everything they can to protect themselves. This survey by the North Carolina Governor’s Highway Safety Program collected advice from motorcyclists on how to avoid being injured in a crash. (The safety tips are at the end of the document.) The survey also includes a variety of information such as the demographics of riders, helmet usage, crash experience and other statistics.

After an accident it is wise to consult an attorney. You can find more information about our firm, Egerton & Associates, at our website, http://www.egertonlaw.com/. If you have questions about legal issues in this article or in your own personal injury suffered in a wreck, call me directly for help – Lawrence Egerton, 336-273-0508, or 800-800-4LAW, or e-mail me at le@egertonlaw.com.

You will always talk to an attorney the first time you call.

Having run, biked and driven past the W&OD Trail crossing at Sterling Park Drive, Herndon bike injury lawyer has seen a number of "near misses" at this location. A Sterling Park Virginia bike accident results in the biker getting crushed and then getting a ticket, despite being waved on by at least one car driver. The local biker contacted Abrams Landau after being struck by a car in Sterling Virginia and being issued a Traffic Court Summons at the hospital. Member of the Landau Law Shop sports injury team had heard of other cyclists and pedestrians receiving their citations at the hospital, but it always strikes Herndon lawyer Doug landau as "adding insult to injury," especially where permanent injuries and disability are likely. In this case, as the local biker was headed West on the W&OD Trail from Herndon toward Sterling Virginia, he came to Sterling Virginia and then two lanes of motor vehicles heading South toward Route 28 (Sully Road) in Loudoun County.

There was no traffic in the first two lanes, so the cyclist crossed safely to he center grass and paved strip. the car in the first Southbound lane stopped and waved him and another cyclist to proceed. The other cyclist proceeded safely to get back on the W&OD Trail, however the local biker was struck broadside in the 4th lane by a car that never saw the athlete or his bicycle. The local cyclist was taken to the emergency room after this "T-bone" crash with fractures, lacerations and permanent injuries and scarring. However, the police officer charged the biker. Citing the lack of certain reflectors; lights during the evening ride and failure to wait for both lanes of Southbound traffic to stop and signal that it was safe to proceed, the Virginia law enforcement authorities charged the bike rider after the crash.

The lesson to be learned is that a cyclist should make sure that ALL lanes are clear before leaving the island or safety of the median strip. If you are not waived through and making eye contact, then think twice about cycling across the road. Just because you are following the W&OD Trail, it does NOT mean you have the right of way or superior rights when crossing the lanes of motorized traffic. Your bicycle commuting time, training ride or recreational spin make take longer, but your odds of returning safely should be your primary focus. Be alert, be smart and cycle safely.

A motorcyclist was hospitalized Thursday following a morning collision on the Golden State Freeway.

About 8:30 a.m. Thursday, a motorcycle and a Volvo collided in the southbound lanes of Interstate 5 just south of Weldon Canyon Road.

The driver of the motorcycle, Kent Leroy Fuller, 54, of Lake View Terrace, was taken to Holy Cross Medical Center with injuries described by California Highway Patrol officers as major.

A report on his condition was not available late Thursday.

The driver of the Volvo, a Valencia woman, was apparently uninjured in the crash.

After representing several bikers picked up by local police for violations of state law, I was asked could they have gotten tickets (and potentially points on their Division of Motor Vehicles record) if they did not have their drivers license on their person. One irate cyclist noted that the foreign riders, who have no U.S drivers license, could not get points, nor could the young bike riders who did not yet have their permits. It did not seem fair that drivers license carrying American citizens could be penalized this way. Plus, it seemed unjust that a cyclist could lose his/her driving privileges for an infraction committed while biking, but a car driver cannot lose his/her bicycling privileges if they get too many speeding, reckless driving or DUI convictions !

Having prosecuted many ticketed motorists, I understand that from the police officers' point of view, once a violation of the law has occurred, or the officer has a reasonable suspicion that there has been a violation, they can asks for identification. Some states require more than your name and address, and several states mandate government issued form of identification, much as you would use to fly. And what if you do not have such government-issued identification on your person when stopped on your bicycle for blowing through a stop sign or making an illegal and unsafe turn ? The trooper or sheriff can take you into custody ! That would really ruin your ride.

As suggested in prior posts, always carry an emergency first aid kit, money, cell phone, and a form of official identification. I have an expired drivers license in my little bag, as I do not want to lose my current operators permit, but I want something official, with the same number on it so that an investigating officer, could type my information into the computer, if necessary. Because state laws vary, it is probably a good idea to carry a form of official identification so as to avoid misunderstandings and compounding a ticket with incarceration. Bikers use the public roads. Those who use the public roads, whether trucks, mopeds, busses, motorcycles or bicycles, are subject to the traffic laws, just like cars. If you violate the law, you can be ticketed, questioned, fined, given points and even lose your driving privileges. So the smart move is to carry appropriate ID on you when riding for fun, training, touring and commuting. Your identification can be an asset if there is an accident, an infraction and if it is required to make a purchase.