According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly 5,000 people are killed in motorcycle accidents every year. In fact, motorcyclists are almost 30 times more likely than people who ride in cars to die in an accident and five times more likely to be severely injured. Based on these statistics, it’s clear that it’s important for motorcyclists to do everything possible to avoid motorcycle accidents. But, how? Follow these tips:
Make yourself more visible.
It’s common for drivers who collide with motorcycles to say that they never saw the motorcyclist before the accident. Be aware of this while you’re on the road and try to maximize your visibility to avoid getting into an accident. Wearing brightly colored clothing and turning on your lights after dark will help, but you should avoid riding in drivers’ blind spots as well.
Don’t stop directly behind cars.
Rear-end collisions can be deadly for motorcyclists. To avoid getting into one of these accidents, don’t ever stop directly behind the car in front of you while in traffic. Instead, stay to either the right or left of the car. Why? If you angle your motorcycle to the right or left of the vehicle in front of you, you are creating an escape path that could save you if the car behind you fails to brake in time to avoid a collision. If you realize the car behind you is not braking quickly enough, you can easily maneuver out of the way to avoid the accident.
Do not share a lane with other motorcyclists.
Many motorcyclists enjoy taking their bikes out for a ride with their friends, which is fine as long as you do not share lanes. Why is sharing lanes so dangerous? Let’s say that you are out for a ride when you spot a pothole in the road in front of you. If you are alone in the lane, you can easily swerve out of the way to avoid hitting the pothole. But, if you are sharing the lane with another motorcyclist, there may not be anywhere for you to go. You may have to choose between hitting the pothole or swerving out of the way and colliding with the other motorcyclist in your lane. You could end up with serious injuries either way, so it’s important to avoid this dangerous practice.
Don’t ride in the right lane.
If you are traveling on an interstate, it’s best to avoid riding in the right lane. Cars will be entering and exiting from the right lane, which means you will have to navigate around drivers who may not see you as they are merging onto the interstate. It’s much safer to ride in the other lanes so you don’t have to constantly watch for drivers merging into you.
Unfortunately, motorcyclists who follow all of these safety tips may still be injured by a negligent driver. If this happens to you, contact Reisch Law Firm today. Our personal injury attorneys can help you win the compensation you need to pay your medical bills, recover from your injuries, and move on from this tragic accident. Schedule a free consultation today by calling 303-291-0555 or filling out this online form.
