How To Avoid A Collision On Your Motorcycle

Motorcyclists are most vulnerable on local streets.  While you may never eliminate your risk of injury on the road, you can certainly take steps to reduce them. Everyone will tell you that one of the best ways to help minimize your risk of getting hit is by wearing very bright colors and reflective clothing, but very often when you are hit, you’ll find that it was simply because the person was not paying attention to the road. In this case your bright colors and reflective clothing isn’t going to save you from getting hit.

Don’t get me wrong, bright colors and protective gear are essential for safe riding, but the best way to really avoid collisions is to be aware of your surroundings. Every time you come to a stop, always look behind you.  One time I was ridding my Indian motorcycle at night, and I got caught at a very long traffic light.  I saw a car from behind pull out from a bar, and it was approaching me fast.  It didn’t look like the car was going to slow down, so I turned around and aggressively waved to get the attention of the driver. Eventually I did, and she slammed on her breaks, stopping dangerously close to my motorcycle.  Having the good sense to look behind me saved my life. Had I not been paying attention, she would have slammed into the back of my motorcycle.  Since then anytime I come to a stop, I look behind me.

You also have to have very good instincts to ride safe. This can mean the difference between life and death.  An example of that is having the ability and quick sense to abandon your bike if necessary to avoid a collision. This is not an easy thing to do. Jumping off anything that is in motion, is not a natural reaction for people – we tend to freeze-up and embrace for the impact.  Many injuries and deaths amongst motorcyclist probably could have been avoided had the biker jumped from their motorcycle.  You will most definitely have sores and rashes, but it will be significantly reduced from what would have happened had you collided head on with a vehicle.

Be safe out there, and checkout my blogs weekly at http://http://bit.ly/1RdM5AN/ for more motorcycle riding tips.