As a motorcyclist, you are at greater risk than most road users. You do not have a metal cage to protect you. You only have two wheels of contact with the road, and you are smaller and less visible than the cars and trucks that surround you.
These factors alone make it incredibly important to do everything you can to minimize the risks to your personal safety.
What can you do as a motorcyclist do to improve your safety while out riding?
There are only so many things you can do to increase your safety. You cannot change the road conditions or the weather, even if you can select your route to avoid one full of potholes or exposed to the elements. None of those things are in your power.
There are, however, three key things you can do to stay safer:
- Make yourself more visible: Run daytime lights. If your bulbs do not shed much light, consider upgrding them. Stay out of other vehicle’s blind spots, especially those of trucks. Use reflective clothing at night and add something bright during the day. Helmets are your highest point, so an ideal place to use color to help drivers see you.
- Ride with extra caution: 39% of 2019’s fatal motorcycle crashes involved no other vehicle, according to the Insurance Information Institute (IIS).
- Wear full protective clothing: Helmets and protective clothing cannot prevent crashes. However, they could be the difference between surviving a crash or dying in one.
You cannot change the behavior of other drivers. All you can do is try and protect yourself from harm as much as possible. There will always be speeders, distracted drivers or ones who drive without due care and attention. It only takes one of them to leave you needing compensation if they crash into your motorcycle. Should that happen to you, it’s wise to speak with an attorney before you try to negotiate with the insurance company involved.
