A major cause of motorcycle accidents is the failure of other motorist to “See” the motorcycle. This can be verified by many studies, and is the reason that during motorcycle safety awareness month, we see many signs that say “Look Twice,” “Start Seeing Motorcycles,” or “Look Out for Motorcycles.” We, as motorcyclists, are asking others to look for us but we have a responsibility as well. There are things we can do to help be seen:
- Wear bright colors or ride a bright colored bike. You need to stand out and get attention. All black clothing and motorcycles will cause you to blend in the surroundings. Additionally, you may be overlooked especially at night. Another thing you can do in some states, but not all , is accent lighting on your bike. The more noticeable you are, the better chance you will be seen.
- Position yourself to be seen. Stay out of blind spots.
- Don’t ride at excessive speeds or too slow. Keep a good distance between you and other vehicles so you have time to react. This also gives other motorists more time to process and hopefully, see you.
- Use turn signals and/or hand signals! You need to let others know what you intend to do. You also need to remember to turn off your turn signals if they are not self-cancelling.
There is no guarantee that if you do these things, you will avoid being in an accident. In today’s world of robo-cars that drive themselves, we have be be diligent in our personal safety while on the road. There are so many things in today’s world that distract drivers: radios, phones, and passengers are just a few. You need to ride like no one “SEEs” you because many times they don’t.
Be safe
Fire Dog
Leather & Lace MC
