Why do most cars collide with motorcyclists?
- The motorcyclist changed lanes without signalling
- The motorist did not see the motorcyclist on the road ✓
- The motorist was attempting to pass the motorcyclist
- The motorcyclist lost control
Answer: B. The motorist did not see the motorcyclist on the road
Most car-motorcycle collisions happen because the motorist did not see the motorcyclist on the road.
Why this is the answer
The handbook points to visibility as the problem: motorcycles are small, can be hidden by even a small car, and are hard to see in glare, rain, mist, fog, dusk and darkness. That supports the bank answer that drivers often fail to notice a rider. The passage does not give a collision-cause statistic, so it explains the answer through visibility rather than saying directly that most collisions happen this way.
Why the other answers are wrong
- A. The motorcyclist changed lanes without signalling — The passages do not list a rider changing lanes without signalling as the reason most cars hit motorcycles; they discuss passing and signals but not this as a common collision cause.
- C. The motorist was attempting to pass the motorcyclist — The passages describe how a rider may pass another motorcyclist, not that a motorist trying to pass is the usual cause of car-motorcycle collisions.
- D. The motorcyclist lost control — Nothing in the passages says losing control is why most cars collide with motorcyclists; the focus is on riders being hard for others to see.
Remember it
Think small and hidden: if you cannot see the rider, that is the visibility problem the handbook warns about.