Getting a new motorcycle might have been the highlight of your life this year, but it also came with many responsibilities. Along with driving it carefully and ensuring proper maintenance, preventing motorcycle accidents is something you need to pay close attention to. Indeed, you cannot predict accidents, but taking a few simple measures can ensure that you don’t face accidents too often.
According to motorcycle accident lawyers at The Barnes Firm, “Every year in the state of California, 12,000 motorcyclists are injured and more than 500 are killed in motorcycle accidents.” The number is indeed high, and they argue that after a motorcycle accident, it is critical to have an experienced attorney on your side to claim compensation. However, by maintaining a few rules, you can reduce the chances of accidents by a large margin.
Below are six ways to prevent motorcycle accidents.
Learn to Drive or Take a Safety Course
The first step to ensuring a safe riding experience is to learn how to drive motorcycles well. Many accidents happen when a motorbike rider loses control over the vehicle. There are various safety courses available in all states that teach you how to ride or maneuver bikes. Even if you cannot take those lessons, you can always learn to ride motorcycles from an expert. Their presence ensures proper training, which reduces the chances of accidents.
Avoid Bad Weather
Bad weather increases the chances of motorcycle accidents. Motorcycles are much lighter compared to cars or trucks, and they have more chances of losing control on a slippery street. During heavy rain, fog, or even ice, the roads turn wet. The tires of the motorcycle can easily skid on the road in such circumstances.
Apart from bad weather, driving a bike in low light also increases the chance of accidents. Therefore, try to avoid driving at night. Similarly, try to avoid driving in the aforementioned adverse weather to prevent road accidents.
Avoid Drinking and Driving
Drinking and driving is another reason for motorcycle accidents. Thousands of people die from drinking and driving every year. If you have an assignment or have to ride a motorcycle on a particular day, don’t drink. If you have an occasion where you must drink, don’t drive a motorcycle on that day. This can be harmful to yourself along with any passenger that you might have. It’s better if you’re taking a designated driver for you on that day to reduce the chances of an accident.
Always Wear a Helmet
Riders usually don’t like wearing helmets. Accidents might not happen every day, but when they do, they can cause serious injury. If you’re not wearing a helmet, a motorcycle accident can cause serious injury to your brain. Sometimes it ends up being fatal. It can also leave you paralyzed.
Therefore, always wear a helmet when you ride a motorcycle. If you have a passenger with you, ensure that they are also wearing a helmet.
You can pick up any helmet from the store. But the best ones are usually approved by the Department of Transportation. They cover the full head and face and usually come in lighter colors for maximum visibility. For safety purposes, you should change your helmet after every five years. If you have crashed within these years, replace the helmet immediately.
Take Motorcycles for Regular Maintenance
Any vehicle needs regular maintenance. If not cared for properly, motorcycle parts can malfunction and cause accidents. It is therefore, necessary to take your motorcycle for maintenance every few months. The interval will depend upon the kind of motorcycle you have and the level of usage.
However, there is some maintenance that you can do on your own. You can change the oil, change the air filter and coolant, and maintain the tire pressure.
Practice Maneuvers and Brakes
Obstacles are unavoidable during motorcycle rides, which is why maneuvers such as sharp turns, quick speedups, and tight circles are important. A new biker might not master them too soon, but with proper practice, you can master them in a few weeks.
Similarly, you might have to stop your vehicle when you’re faced with an impromptu obstacle. Here, learning hard brakes is important. The best way to practice them is in an open space or a big parking lot where you can create and move around obstacles as required. You can also try practicing in a natural setting, but that might increase the chances of an accident occurring right in the middle of the practice.
Getting a motorcycle is exciting, but so is learning how to prevent accidents. Staying alert and cautious while riding is important, but taking other preventive measures is equally important. Always keep a personal injury lawyer handy in case you ever face an accident and need to claim compensation for the damage.
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