When someone is driving a motor vehicle, their brain is processing quite a bit of information at once. They have to consider how to operate the controls, where they’re going, what traffic is doing around them and if there are any traffic control devices. The brain is trying to process visual imagery, sounds – like sirens or horns – and much more. The faster someone can do this, the safer they’re able to drive.
But, the brain sometimes filters out information as it tries to determine what is important and what is not. This can lead to a condition called inattentional blindness. What happens is that someone can look directly at another vehicle, but their brain filters it out, and they don’t see it, leading to a car accident.
How would this happen?
This often happens with motorcycles, which drivers are unprepared to see. They’re expecting to see cars, trucks, commercial vehicles and things of this nature. They may even be actively looking for pedestrians and cyclists.
But say that the driver is waiting to turn left, and they look to make sure that the road is clear. If they aren’t expecting to see a motorcycle, their brain could filter the bike out so that they honestly don’t see it. They then cut the rider off as they make the left turn, leading to a severe accident. Both the rider and the driver will likely be confused, as the driver will be unsure where the motorcycle even came from.
Issues like this show just how hard it is to avoid car accidents. If you’ve been injured due to the actions of another negligent driver, you need to know what legal options you have.
