Motorcycle Safety Tips
Starting up a motorcycle and heading out onto the open road is an exhilarating experience that many Americans across the country enjoy each day and for good reason. Motorcycles provide a completely different experience when compared to passenger vehicles or other types of transportation options, and a rider gets a sense of freedom that few other activities inspire. However, the unfortunate reality is that motorcycles are extremely dangerous for a number of reasons, and have a higher fatality rate than cars or trucks when involved in an accident.
If you drive a motorcycle, it is important that you are aware of the risks that you face, and how to take the appropriate precautions to avoid these risks as much as possible. Unfortunately, even the most defensive and alert motorcycle driver is not immune to the actions and behaviors of other drivers on the road, which is why proper safety equipment is essential, and knowing the right motorcycle accident attorney to call can help you get the necessary legal support to get the compensation you deserve in the event that you are hurt in a crash.
Contact Fasig | Brooks Now For a Free Initial Consultation
Take a look at some of these important safety tips for driving a motorcycle, and contact our personal injury law firm as soon as possible for a free initial consultation if you or a loved one has been hurt in a motorcycle accident. Our firm has years of experience representing clients in all sorts of personal injury and wrongful death cases, and we will be happy to provide you with the same aggressive representation that all of our valued clients benefit from.
Before Your Ride: Motorcycle Safety Tips
A safe motorcycle ride starts before you even put the key in the ignition and hit the starter: proper safety equipment and a full pre-check of your motorcycle’s mechanics are both essential for ensuring that you are protected.
Wear the Right Gear
Florida has lax safety laws relating to motorcycles and does not require that riders over the age of 21 wear helmets. This is one of the contributing factors that make Florida the most dangerous state in the country in terms of fatal motorcycle accidents, which is why it is so important to wear a helmet even if the law does not compel you to do so. In 2018, Florida had a reported 9,143 motorcycle accidents and 531 fatalities. In addition to a helmet, protective clothing like riding pants and a jacket, a chest protector, neck brace, gloves, and motorcycle boots will help to keep you safe from secondary injuries after a collision or a fall.
Check Your Equipment
Make sure to do a visual inspection of your tires, ensuring that you have a safe tread and that they are inflated to the proper PSI. In addition, adjust your mirrors if necessary, and test your horn, headlight, taillight, brake lights, and turn signals to make sure that other drivers know what you are doing on the road. It is important that you are constantly checking things like your brake pads, throttle, and clutch to make sure that they are reliable – because you do not want to discover that you need new brake pads while you are trying to use them to avoid a crash.
On The Road: Motorcycle Safety Tips
Once you are confident in your gear and your machinery, it’s time to head out onto the open road. Defensive driving is the most important driving tactic that you can engage in, and remember that it will most likely be other drivers that cause your accident, even if you are the most responsible motorcycle driver in the United States.
Drive Defensively
It is important that you stay continuously alert of what the other drivers are doing on the road around you, and while stressful, it can help to assume that they do not see you. Too often, motorcycle drivers are injured or killed due to blind spot accidents or left turns by other drivers who simply do not see the motorcycle, whether due to distractions or other issues.
Obey Traffic Laws
While it is important to stay alert of what other drivers are doing around you, it is equally, if not more important, to obey traffic laws. Higher speeds mean that your reactions will need to be quicker and that it will take you longer to stop, among other problems that come with traveling at a higher speed. If you are in an accident that another driver caused, but you are found to have been in violation of traffic laws, it can be harder to make the argument that you are the victim, and not equally responsible and therefore not entitled to compensation.
Stay Sober
Driving a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or other mind-altering substances is extremely dangerous for a number of reasons, so only operating your motorcycle while sober is one of the best ways to ensure that you are taking all of the steps in your power to stay safe and keep enjoying your motorcycle for years to come. Alcohol and motor vehicles DO NOT MIX.
