Spring is here, and as a result, you may be driving your motorcycle a lot more than you were a month or two ago. Motorcycle driving may be great fun, but in 2012, motorcyclists were 6 times more likely to become fatally injured in an accident when compared to car drivers. There are many reasons that motorcyclists are so much more likely to be injured in accidents, but a big part of the problem involves the relationship between motorcycles and cars. Motorcyclists are fundamentally different from cars. They maneuver differently and accelerate at different rates, and as a result, the differences in driver behaviors can be extreme. These differences can lead to collisions. Following these tips, you can learn to share the road with cars safely and minimize the chances of an accident this spring.
Get Proper Training
Many motorcyclists have not been formally trained to ride their motorcycles at all. However, motorcyclists who are subjected to a rigorous licensing examination and who take a training before becoming licensed are 21 percent less likely to have an accident. Completing a formal training course is an important part of learning the muscle memory and best practices associated with motorcycle driving. Driver safety courses will teach you how to protect yourself from cars and share the road safely, resulting in fewer accidents in the future.
Increase Your Visibility on the Road
Many car drivers fail to notice motorcyclists because motorcycles are much smaller and can drive where cars can't. To improve the likelihood that you will be noticed by car drivers, make yourself more visible by doing the following:
- Wear brightly colored clothes while in transit. Wearing a reflective safety vest or a brightly colored jacket and pants will help you stand out in traffic.
- Keep the headlight turned on even during the daytime. This can be an effective way to become noticed, especially during low-light conditions, like when it's cloudy.
- Avoid lane splitting, even if it's legal in your state. Lane splitting is the practice of driving between lanes on the road. Cars don't always notice motorcyclists that are engaging in lane splitting because car drivers focus their attention on activity in the lanes around them. To improve your visibility on roads with heavy traffic, drive in the lanes, not between them.
Avoid Excessive Acceleration
Motorcycles can accelerate much more quickly than cars, and car drivers often don't expect it when motorcyclists accelerate very quickly. This unanticipated behavior can lead to accidents. When sharing the road with car drivers, accelerate at a moderate rate to avoid collisions.
You may take all these precautions and more as you take to the road this spring, but sometimes accidents still happen. If you are involved in a motorcycle accident this spring, contact a personal injury attorney at Smith, Dickey, Dempster or a similar firm to find out more about getting the compensation you need.
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