Failure to yield a depresing common thread in motorcycle accidents last week

I have written several times about the frequent failures of motorists to see motorcycle riders as being the cause of serious motorcycle crashes and wrongful death accidents.  There were a number of motorcycle accidents in the news this week that had that same depressing common thread:

• In Syracuse, NY, a driver made a left hand turn out of a parking lot into the path of a motorcycle,  resulting in a fatal motorcycle accident;
• In Kansas, a driver pulled away from a stop sign at an intersection with US Highway 24-40, striking a motorcycle and throwing the motorcyclist from his bike.  The motorcyclist was killed;
• In Colorado, an off-duty state trooper was killed three weeks ago when the driver of a minivan made a left hand turn in front of him, causing fatal head injuries to the motorcyclist;
• There was also a piece in the news in Michigan about the slow recovery that a couple was making from injuries they suffered in a motorcycle accident.  The cause?  A driver making a left hand turn in front of them while they were participating a charity run;

The fact that driver of cars often fail to see motorcycles is well-documented.  With the rise of cell phone use and text messaging by drivers, more motorcyclists I speak to are reporting that they hear of and see more serious accidents and near-misses involving distracted drivers.