Motorcycle accidents are often pretty severe and it can affect your life substantially.

Knowing how to safely drive on the open road can make a huge difference and can even save your life. Arriving safely at your destination is the goal, no matter if you ride a motorcycle just for fun or as your main way of commuting. We hope that the following tips will help you avoid potential motorcycle accidents.

Protective motorcycle gear

When diving a motorcycle, you can enjoy the freedom of the open road like you never could when driving a car. It is a unique and liberating experience well-known to all cyclists. But that exact freedom can put you in harm’s way if you ever get into a motorcycle accident. When you’re in a motorcycle accident and you hit the pavement, you can suffer various injuries such as road rash, broken bones or other more serious injuries. According to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, the apparel or gear that you wear while on the open road can make a HUGE difference in surviving a motorcycle crash.

Helmets and eyewear can protect you in case of a motorcycle accident

Laws that regulate helmet wearing can differ depending on which state you drive in. For example, in Florida, if you are older than 21, you can ride a motorcycle without a helmet if you have an insurance policy that is $10,000 or higher. But if you are younger than 21, you must wear a helmet.

Even though in some cases, wearing a helmet is a personal choice, we highly recommend that you wear one while on the road, even if you meet the requirements for not wearing one. According to some date released by the CDC, wearing a helmet lowers the risk of brain injury in case of a crash by 69% and the risk of death by 37%.

No matter if you wear or not wear a helmet, in a motorcycle accident, you can easily lose control of your bike which can result in serious brain injuries. However, by wearing a helmet, you can significantly reduce the risk.

Furthermore, having a good and clean view of the road helps you navigate and steer your motorcycle. Some federal states actually mandate that you wear protective eyewear on a motorcycle and this is pretty logical. Eyewear can protect your eyes from insects or debris from entering your eyes, and obstructing your vision.

Outerwear

The type and quality of outerwear you pick for your ride, can truly make a difference in what kind and how severe injuries will you sustain in the event of a motorcycle accident. Someone who decides to go in a pair of shorts on a summer day, might risk getting severe road rash and abrasions on his legs if he gets into a crash.

Researchers and experts are still working on developing products that will be specifically designed to protect motorcycles. However, until those are fully ready and on the market, motorcyclists will have to use tough leather equipment to protect themselves.

Avoid motorcycle accidents by knowing how to ride defensively

Driving responsively and defensively is essential for the safety of all those on the road, not just motorcyclists. So you need to keep in mind that you have to share the road with other cyclists and not to make sudden moves while driving. Here are a few tips on how to drive defensively

• Don’t try to pass a vehicle in the same lane
• Be patient. Even if your motorcycle can fit between two vehicles, between two lanes, that is highly dangerous and against the law
• You must not ride more than to abreast in a single lane
• Maintain control ov your motorcycle at all times. Performing stunts, drag races or wheelies is forbidden
• Passing on the right can be used but only in a limited number of circumstances e.g. when the vehicle in front of you is turning left. In these cases, use extra precaution and care when performing this maneuver.

Car drivers and their behavior can also prevent motorcycle accidents

• Make sure that your mirrors are well adjusted. Nearly 40% of space around a vehicle is made of blind spots and in a blind spot you can’t see a motorcyclist.
• Just like motorcyclist, vehicle drivers should also practice patience.
• Yielding the right-of-way to motorcycles

Hopefully these tips will help you drive safely and prevent motorcycle accidents. In our next post, we will discuss the type of injuries that can be sustained in a motorcycle accident and what to do if you’re in a motorcycle accident.