Motorcycle Accident Prevention: 8 Tips From The Experts

When motorcycle accidents happen, the likelihood of severe injuries is high, so it’s incredibly important to adhere to preventative safety measures. Here are 8 top tips for preventing a motorcycle accident.

1. Never drink and ride

This tip deserves the top spot, as surely no accident is more preventable than one caused by drunk driving. Alcohol impairs your judgement and slows your reaction time, which is why, according to the motorcycle legal experts, it is one of the leading causes of motorcycle accidents.

Riding whilst under the influence of alcohol is even more dangerous than driving a car when drunk, as the bike requires coordination and balance to remain upright.

2. Slow down

When riding a motorcycle, you need sufficient time to see and react to other vehicles, road debris and other potential hazards. For example, speeding can impede your ability to see upcoming turns in time to approach them safely. This can result in entering a corner at speed, hitting the brakes too hard and losing control of the bike completely.

It is also important to maintain enough available reaction time to avoid obstacles in the road such as debris or cracks, potholes or oil slicks. In the event of riding in inclement weather and rain, motorcycle riders should slow down even further as the risks are even greater.

3. Do not share a lane with another vehicle

This is a completely unnecessary risk to take — motorcycles can be hard to see and drivers do not expect to suddenly be sharing their lane with a motorcycle. Lane changes that do not allow for unseen motorcycles can result in an entirely preventable accident. Just because you will fit alongside a car in a lane, does not entitle you to occupy that space.

4. Look behind you at intersections

It’s unfortunately common for motorcycles to be rear-ended by vehicles at intersections, particularly when a motorcyclist stops at a crosswalk or otherwise allows a pedestrian to cross in front of them.

When you need to come to a stop at an intersection or crosswalk, pull over to the side of your lane, and flash your brakes several times, using the lights as an alert to following drivers. As you stop, watch behind you for any oncoming cars and keep your motorcycle in gear so you can pull away quickly if a car is approaching too fast.

5. Learn to manage common road hazards

There are a number of road hazards that can cause troubles for motorcyclists, particularly when they are unprepared or inexperienced in dealing with them. Train tracks, potholes, wet or oily patches, rubber from blown-out tires and even slippery leaves can be hazardous.

As a motorcyclist, it’s important to learn how to safely maneuver either around or through these potential hazards to best avoid an accident. Essentially, safely reducing your speed and applying your brakes gently to slow your approach to hazards is the first step, as well as ensuring that you are always riding at safe enough speeds to allow for this.

The most responsible thing to do is to take a motorcycle riding course that can provide you with the strategies you need to safely deal with common hazards encountered by riders.

6. Perform maintenance regularly

As with any road vehicle, performing regular maintenance on your motorbike can help to reduce the risk of accidents occuring. Ensure your motorbike is fit for safe and optimal use by regularly performing maintenance on the following:

• Engine
• Brakes
• Headlights
• Tires
• Turn signals
• Battery

7. Do not ride between parked cars and active traffic

Driving between vehicles in operation and the parked cars at the side of the road can be hazardous for a number of reasons:

• If a car pulls out in front of you, you could crash right into it.
• If a pedestrian was to step out in front of you, you may not have the time to slow down enough to avoid colliding with them.
• The driver of a parked car could open their car door and you could collide with it.

8. Always be watchful for potential hazards

Your attention as a motorcyclist should always be both on the road and on your surroundings, with a vigilance for anything potentially hazardous. This could be other cars maneuvering, road hazards, pedestrians, sudden traffic congestion and much more.

Maintaining close attention to your surroundings will best prepare you to avoid collisions with unexpected hazards and help keep you and your fellow road users safe.

Motorcycle riding can be a relatively safe way to travel, so long as the rider is fully respectful of the importance of maintaining their bike, adhering to all safety measures and staying vigilant.