Know Your South Carolina Motorcycle Laws Before You Head To Myrtle Beach

If you are going to Myrtle Beach this year on motorcycle, then you are either an experienced motorcycle rider, an enthusiastic one, or both.  You know how to use your common sense when riding or maintaining your bike.  While we can safely assume that everyone at Myrtle Beach loves motorcycles, we cannot assume that everyone is from South Carolina.  Visitors come to Myrtle Beach from all over the United States and the world to ride motorcycles.  Let us remember back to a lesson in high school civics class, which is that most of the laws that affect your daily life are state laws, not federal laws.  This means that any legal troubles you experience while attending Myrtle Beach events, including but not limited to traffic accidents, are subject to South Carolina law.  If you live out of state and got injured in a motorcycle accident while visiting South Carolina, contact a Columbia motorcycle accident lawyer.

South Carolina Motorcycle Helmet Laws

Some states require motorcyclists to wear helmets whenever they ride, but South Carolina is not one of them.  If you are from a “helmets for everyone,” you are protecting yourself by continuing to follow the helmet policies of your home state.  In South Carolina, though, the only people required to wear motorcycle helmets are motorcyclists and passengers under the age of 21.  Young motorcyclists’ helmets must have visors, or else they must wear goggles or a face shield.

No Burning Rubber in Myrtle Beach

Intentionally making noise with your motorcycle tires, also known as burning rubber, is one of the most fun parts of the biker life.  It is also perfectly legal almost everywhere, including in most parts of South Carolina.  It is against the law, however, in Myrtle Beach, and numerous visitors get tickets each year for burning rubber.  Have fun, but respect the old folks and the wildlife, who live in and near Myrtle Beach year round, by keeping your tires quiet.

Two Bikes, but Not More, Can Share a Lane

Since motorcycles are small enough to ride next to each other in a lane of traffic, they sometimes do, but different states have different rules about lane sharing.  In South Carolina, two bikes can ride side by side in a lane of traffic, but not more than two.  If three bikers ride next to each other in the same lane, they can all get tickets or all be considered at fault for any accidents they might cause.

Legal Remedies for Visitors to South Carolina

If you file a personal injury lawsuit about a motorcycle accident that happened in South Carolina, only the courts of South Carolina have jurisdiction to decide the outcome.  This means that you must hire a South Carolina personal injury lawyer, even if you live in another state.

Let Us Help You Today

The personal injury lawyers at the Stanley Law Group can help you pursue a motorcycle accident claim, even if you do not live in South Carolina.  Contact The Stanley Law Group in Columbia, South Carolina or call (803)799-4700 for a free initial consultation.

Sources

myrtlebeachonline.com/news/local/bike-rallies/article304428551.html