Motorcycling can be a thrilling experience, especially if you can enjoy a brisk ride down an empty road. Few feelings beat the experience of the wind in your hair as you breeze down the street. However, motorcycling can be incredibly dangerous to inexperienced or overconfident riders. As such, it's incredibly important to prioritize your safety while on the road.
By developing an understanding of the unique challenges faced by riders and practicing safe riding techniques, you can substantially reduce your risk of accidents. If you do experience a wreck, an Atlanta motorcycle accident attorney may be able to assist you in your time of need.
Preparing for the Ride
Before heading out on your motorcycle, make sure you’re equipped with the right safety gear. A well-fitting helmet is essential, but you also need to be wearing protective pants, gloves, and a jacket. While clothes may not prevent blunt force trauma in a collision, they can protect you from road rash if you are flung from your bike! You should also consider wearing reflective gear to make you more visible to other drivers, particularly in dim lighting.
Before leaving your home, perform a pre-ride inspection of your bike. Ensure that brakes, lights, tire pressure, and other critical components are in good shape. If you detect any issues, don’t use your motorcycle until the problem has been fixed.
Positioning Yourself on the Road
When riding in traffic, position yourself in a way that maximizes visibility. Although no driver should remain in the blind spot of another vehicle, this is especially true for motorcycles. Since your bike is much smaller than a standard vehicle, you can easily get lost in the shuffle of cars if you’re hovering in a driver’s blind spot. When you can, drive in the center of your lane to give you more options for emergency maneuvers, if needed.
Always keep a safe following distance behind the vehicle in front of you. Doing so gives you time to stop or change lanes if the car ahead stops or slows suddenly.
The two-second rule is a good guideline to follow. To put this into practice, maintain a distance equal to the time it takes to count to two after the vehicle in front of you passes a fixed point.
Mastering Defensive Riding
Defensive riding involves anticipating potential hazards and taking proactive measures to avoid accidents. To ride defensively, you have to pay close attention to the behavior of other drivers and be ready to react to sudden braking, lane changes, or other erratic maneuvers. Stay aware of your surroundings and use your mirrors to check for approaching vehicles. Be mindful of your blind spots and always use your turn signals to indicate when you are changing lanes or making a turn.
Navigating Challenging Road Conditions
When riding in adverse weather conditions, such as rain or snow, you should slow down to a safe speed and increase your following distance. Try not to brake hard, as this can cause you to lose control or skid. You need to be very cautious on wet roads since decreased traction can make the road much more slippery than usual. Keep an eye out for oil slicks and other hazards that can cause your wheels to lose their grip on the road. If you see an obstacle, such as crash debris or a pothole, slow down and maneuver around it. Do not make sudden maneuvers, as these can cause a loss of control.
Staying Safe on the Road
By understanding the unique challenges of motorcycle riding and practicing safe riding techniques, you significantly reduce your risk of getting into a crash or damaging your bike. We hope this article helps you stay safe and enjoy many years of riding to come!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Olivia Poglianich
Content Strategist
Olivia Poglianich is a nomadic brand strategist and copywriter in the motorcycling and adventure space who has worked with brands such as Visa, Disney and Grey Goose. Her writing has taken her all over the world, from a Serbian music festival to a Malaysian art and culture event. Olivia is a graduate of Cornell University and is often writing or reading about travel, hospitality, the start-up ecosystem or career coaching. Her latest interests are at the intersection of web3 and communal living, both on and offline.
