It's springtime, and a lot of new riders are getting out there on the road for the first time. Most of them will ride smart and safe, but a couple of them will ride badly. Motorcycle safety, though, matters to everybody.
First of all, a new motorcyclist would be smart to sign up for a rider safety course. The highway patrol holds these classes and staffs them with trained and qualified instructors who are veteran motorcyclists that having been riding them for years.
The course covers material such as starting and stopping the bike properly, braking and maneuvering in an emergency, and how best to make a turn safely. The course will be applied to the driver's license test and waives the behind-the-wheel portion.
Driving a car and piloting a bike are two totally different experiences, and there are a lot of new things that a fresh rider will have to get used to. A shift of body weight in any direction and throw the bike off its line, and this can panic any rider. Experiencing panic on a bike can induce a rider to lose control of the bike, and this can result in a crash.
Every rider has to keep a good mental picture of everything going on around him. One tactic is to imagine a bubble or cushion surrounding the rider. Automobiles come with blind spots, and bikers have be know where they are, especially in light of the fact that bikes are so tough for drivers to see.
It happens quite a bit that a biker will get hit by a left-turning car. Quite often, the automobile veers directly into the rider's path and then the car driver claims to have never seen the bike in the first place. One estimate of the greatest single danger to motorcyclists is the car making a left turn.
Also dangerous are driveways, and automobiles that are backing out of driveways might not see a motorcyclist coming. Available light, inclement weather and a whole host of other variables all come into play when determining how well seen a rider is. Accordingly, a biker has to be very conscious of everything going on in his or her vicinity and then has to make fast decisions on the best maneuvers to make.
Gear is another factor in rider protection. Many riders choose to ride in jeans and a t-shirt, especially in summer. Falling off a moving motorcycle to the ground is like sticking your skin against a fast-moving belt sander; jeans and t-shirts shred easily. Well-prepared riders dress for the crash, not for the ride, and therefore wear leather protective gear, good gloves and a full face helmet.
Riding defensively is suggested. Great care should be taken when entering intersections, as getting t-boned on a bike is not the same as getting t-boned in a car. Pay close attention to road conditions, because small potholes can throw a bike out of control.
Bike riding is one of life's great joys. However, the only person who is ultimately responsible for motorcycle safety is the motorcyclist, and they cannot expect other drivers to be looking out for them, particularly since bikes are so tiny relatively. Ride safely and arrive alive.
First of all, a new motorcyclist would be smart to sign up for a rider safety course. The highway patrol holds these classes and staffs them with trained and qualified instructors who are veteran motorcyclists that having been riding them for years.
The course covers material such as starting and stopping the bike properly, braking and maneuvering in an emergency, and how best to make a turn safely. The course will be applied to the driver's license test and waives the behind-the-wheel portion.
Driving a car and piloting a bike are two totally different experiences, and there are a lot of new things that a fresh rider will have to get used to. A shift of body weight in any direction and throw the bike off its line, and this can panic any rider. Experiencing panic on a bike can induce a rider to lose control of the bike, and this can result in a crash.
Every rider has to keep a good mental picture of everything going on around him. One tactic is to imagine a bubble or cushion surrounding the rider. Automobiles come with blind spots, and bikers have be know where they are, especially in light of the fact that bikes are so tough for drivers to see.
It happens quite a bit that a biker will get hit by a left-turning car. Quite often, the automobile veers directly into the rider's path and then the car driver claims to have never seen the bike in the first place. One estimate of the greatest single danger to motorcyclists is the car making a left turn.
Also dangerous are driveways, and automobiles that are backing out of driveways might not see a motorcyclist coming. Available light, inclement weather and a whole host of other variables all come into play when determining how well seen a rider is. Accordingly, a biker has to be very conscious of everything going on in his or her vicinity and then has to make fast decisions on the best maneuvers to make.
Gear is another factor in rider protection. Many riders choose to ride in jeans and a t-shirt, especially in summer. Falling off a moving motorcycle to the ground is like sticking your skin against a fast-moving belt sander; jeans and t-shirts shred easily. Well-prepared riders dress for the crash, not for the ride, and therefore wear leather protective gear, good gloves and a full face helmet.
Riding defensively is suggested. Great care should be taken when entering intersections, as getting t-boned on a bike is not the same as getting t-boned in a car. Pay close attention to road conditions, because small potholes can throw a bike out of control.
Bike riding is one of life's great joys. However, the only person who is ultimately responsible for motorcycle safety is the motorcyclist, and they cannot expect other drivers to be looking out for them, particularly since bikes are so tiny relatively. Ride safely and arrive alive.
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