You may be one of many motorcyclists in Florida getting out and enjoying the warm weather. While enjoying the sense of freedom riding on a motorcycle offers, you must take measures to protect yourself and ride safely.
RideApart shares prevalent motorcycle mishaps and strategies for avoiding them. You do not have to become a statistic or suffer an avoidable injury.
Motorists opening automobile doors
Inattentive drivers may not notice you behind them before they peel their car doors open, which may lead to an accident or injury. As a motorcyclist, avoid riding between parked cars and the flow of traffic as much as possible.
Automobiles shifting lanes in front of you
You may already have personal experience with cars suddenly veering in front of you because drivers do not check their blind spots. To better ensure the same does not happen again, stay out of common blind spots as much as possible. If you cannot see a driver’s eyes in a side-view mirror, chances are, she or he cannot see you.
Cars striking you from behind
A driver failing to pay attention to the road ahead may hit you from behind, the force of which may cause serious injury. Rather than stopping like a motorist, take extra precautions by stopping alongside cars rather than directly behind or in front of them, ensuring drivers see you next to them. With this protective measure, the goal becomes stopping close to the side of the road rather than in the middle of the lane, tapping your brake lever to activate your lights to make it easier for drivers to see you.
Taking extra precautions this riding season may save you a lot of trouble and help you avoid a personal injury.