Everyone loves the freedom of the open roads and wants to experience things.
After all, hitting the highways and byways of America in search of adventure is one of the things that makes life fun. And one of the best ways to explore exciting new destinations is on a motorcycle.
You know what to look for in a Motorcycle while buying it but if you want to stay safe, you need to know some motorcycle road rules. You’re at the right place and we will help you with all the road rules there are to know about.
This article takes a look at important tips and motorcycle rules that will help keep you out of trouble. Keep reading to get the inside scoop on motorcycle rules of the road.
1. Be Aware of Your Blind Spots
Let’s start by talking about one of the most dangerous aspects of riding a motorcycle: blind spots.
After all, motorcycles are often difficult for other motorists to see. That’s because motorcycles aren’t nearly as big as most other vehicles on the road, thus the smaller profile makes it challenging to notice them on the road. This means you have to assume they can’t see you at all.
When you’re driving a car, always remember that your blind spot can be deceiving, thus you need to double-check before changing lanes.
2. Check Every Direction at Left Turns
Motorcycles can come out of nowhere. In fact, this is how most motorcycle-related accidents end up happening. Especially when it comes to making left turns.
This is because when you turn left without checking your blind spot, you could easily turn directly into the path of a motorcycle. The key to keeping everything safe on the road is to always assess everything in the left lane before entering the turn.
3. Give Motorcycles Ahead You Plenty of Space
This is an important rule regardless of location or weather conditions. The key is to never crowd someone riding a motorcycle.
Driving too close to anyone else on the road is always dangerous. But this is especially true when sharing the road with motorcycles.
You need to be aware of your surroundings at all times to be free from accidents. It only takes an instant for motorists to change positions around you, falling into your blind spot, or simply shifting around while you’re distracted or lost in thought.
The best strategy is to just get in the habit of giving everyone around you plenty of space on the road. Tailgating someone on the road or crowding them at an intersection isn’t going to save you any time getting where you’re going, and it creates dangerous driving conditions.
4. Never Share a Lane
Here is a scene you’ve likely witnessed plenty of times while driving: an automobile and a motorcycle sharing a lane, or two or more motorcycles driving side by side in the same lame.
This might not seem like a big deal, but it’s actually highly dangerous.
Many people might disregard this concern, believing that motorcycles are small enough for it to be perfectly safe for them to share a lane with another motorist. But this is not true at all and you shouldn’t be doing that.
Why is sharing a lane dangerous? The simple truth is that no matter what type of vehicle you’re driving, you’re going fast. And if you’re driving too fast, anything can happen in a matter of seconds.
For example, one of the drivers can get distracted, swerve to avoid something in the road, or experience some type of mechanical failure, leading to tragedy.
The best way to stay safe is to stay in your own lane. After all, it’s challenging enough to avoid accidents even with skilled drivers and ideal road conditions.
5. Remember Motorcycles React Differently than Cars
One second everything seems fine, and then disaster occurs. That’s why it’s important to give other motorists plenty of space around you.
This is especially crucial when you consider the fact that motorcycles react differently than a car or truck. Plus, they don’t have the benefit of seat belts or airbags. When a motorcycle is involved in a collision, the rider is extremely vulnerable.
And every movement a motorcycle rider makes affects the travel of the motorcycle on the surface of the road. A small jerk of the handlebars can cause the bike to overreact and wind up sliding on its side across the asphalt.
Again, the best policy is to provide plenty of space for motorcycles to travel safely on the road in order to reduce the odds of potential collisions.
6. Treat Intersections with Respect
Have you ever noticed how many accidents tend to occur at intersections? And the busier the intersection happens to be, the more dangerous it becomes for motorists.
This is especially true when it comes to motorcycle-related accidents.
The key to reducing accidents as a whole is to remain very aware of your surroundings and treat busy intersections with the utmost respect. Never run a red or yellow light, and keep an eye on every lane of traffic before accelerating forward or making a turn.
Here’s a resource where you can get more info about motorcycle accidents.
7. Always Pass with Extreme Care
Passing another car in traffic always holds the potential for a dangerous situation. Especially when changing lanes into oncoming traffic.
That’s why it’s impossible to overemphasize the importance of being aware of everyone on the road before passing motorists ahead of you. It’s also extremely important to remember that a huge number of motorcyclists are killed each year when they are hit head-on in passing situations.
Thus you need to always be one hundred percent certain that no one is approaching from the opposite direction before changing lanes to pass another motorist.
8. Take the Weather Seriously
It’s also important to remember that changes in weather conditions impact motorcycles far more than cars or trucks. This is why you need to be especially aware of motorcycles on the road during rain, snow, or strong winds.
Takeaway
Staying safe on the road should always be your top priority while driving. Fortunately, these motorcycle road rules will help everyone get home safe and sound. Unfortunately, if you meet an accident, you must be aware of aftermath of motorcycle accidents.