Motorcycle riding comes with inherent risks; you are 35 times more likely to die in a motorcycle crash than occupants of cars and trucks. The good news is, the vast majority of serious injuries and deaths are preventable. The bad news is, many Massachusetts motorcyclists fail to take proper safety precautions, such as wearing a helmet and not speeding. Motorcycle safety courses help combat this problem by illustrating how easily certain behaviors can result in death, and how simple it is to avoid this risk.
Whether you are a novice rider, or you’ve been riding for decades, the tips below can help you dramatically reduce your risk of serious injury and death. A MA motorcycle accident lawyer can help you determine how to proceed if you’ve been injured due to another’s negligence.
- When you are riding at a higher speed (but still within the speed limit), it may help to crouch a little on your bike. By leaning forward, you can avoid some of the air flow, thus making the ride more comfortable.
- When you are riding on city roads, you may see more and more asphalt ridges (a.k.a. speed bumps). Do not break on the ridge, rather brake before you reach it.
- To maintain maximum visibility at all times, avoid getting too close to large vehicles, such as vans, trucks, and buses. This will help ensure that you have enough space to see what lies ahead on the road, before you get too close and are upon it.
- When braking, it is important to use more front braking than rear braking. If you’re new to riding, it’s crucial to get a feel for how the brakes work. You can play with the footpegs to see how pressing on the right footpeg affects the trajectory of the bike, versus pressing on the left footpeg, for example. Practice in a safe place, such as an empty parking lot, before taking it to the open road.
- If you must make an emergency brake, you can hug the tank with your thighs, which prevents your body weight from being too heavy at the front of the bike.
- Avoid lane splitting at all times. It’s dangerous…and it’s illegal.
- Anticipate and prepare before driving into curves. To do so safely, it’s crucial to brake and reduce speed before you enter the curve. Similarly, you must prepare to exit the curve, ahead of time. Your body and bike should be in the proper position to accelerate smoothly, when exiting a curve. When approaching or exiting a curve, remember to brake, use the lower gears, make sure that your feet and body are properly placed, and throttle when exiting.
- Before entering a tunnel, keep in mind that your sight may be momentarily impaired. In preparation, use extra caution and slow down before entering. A Boston injury lawyer can help you recover damages if you’ve been injured by another’s negligent actions.
- When riding in a group, do not focus solely on the motorcycle in front of you. It’s common for riders to get too focused on the back of the rider ahead of them.
- Similar to the hazard of getting too focused on the rider ahead of you, it is dangerous to become “hypnotized” at night by lights on a vehicle ahead of you. In addition to being distracting, if the vehicle’s brake lights don’t work, you could end up in a rear end collision.
- Take a rider safety course. This is absolutely essential if you’re a new rider, but periodic refresher courses are also important for seasoned riders.
Altman & Altman, LLP – Motorcycle Accident Lawyers Serving All of MA
If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident, the skilled legal team at Altman & Altman, LLP can help. We have been protecting the rights of accident and injury victims for more than 50 years. It is our goal to get you the compensation you deserve so that you can get on with your life. If you’ve been injured, you may be entitled to compensation for pain and suffering, lost wages, and medical bills. Contact Altman & Altman, LLP today for a free and confidential consultation about your case.