Safety in Riding a Motorbike
While motorbike accidents have the highest fatality rate in collision, experts said that riders can lessen the risks of being injured or even death if they will follow certain precautions and adopt a safe behavior in riding such as:
- Wear clothing which is visible to other motorists.
- Use headlight not just during the night but also in daytime.
- Avoid swerving and cutting into lane. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSHA) said that this is the number one mistake of motorists which cause more than 15,500 deaths every year.
- Make sure to communicate with other motorist by using light signals.
- Avoid tail-gating and make sure there is adequate space when traveling with other motorists.
- Remain extra alert and don’t ever try to drive when experiencing fatigue. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, more than 1,400 people are killed every year by fatigue driving. The federal agency also said that road fatalities often occur during the time when people should be sleeping (3 am to 6 am).
- To avoid distraction, do not listen to portable music players while riding a motorbike. In study conducted in 2007, inattentive driving killed more than 4,700 people.
- Never drink an alcohol and ride in a motorbike. According to some previous studies, alcohol greatly diminishes the person’s response time. Meanwhile, statistics also shows that drunk driving kills one person every 40 minutes. Also, more than half of pedestrian deaths involved alcohol.
- Don’t use cell phone even those with hands-free design. A recent study suggested that chatty motorists are more prone to accidents than drunk drivers. It has been estimated that 1 million Americans are using their mobile phones while driving. And experts said that even hands-free devices are not safe as well.
- Wear federally approved motorbike helmets.
- Obey traffic rules and become ethical driver. Statistics shows that more than 1,850 fatalities in 2007 were caused by reckless motorists. A recent study also revealed that the most common cause of road accidents in cities is beating the red light
- Always consider the road condition when traveling. If possible, avoid traveling during bad weather (e.g. snow, fog, rain) since the road is slippery.
- Follow the speed limit. According to statistics, over-speeding is the second highest cause of fatality in road accidents in the US. A study conducted in 2007 revealed that over-speeding accounted for 36 percent of motorcycle fatalities.
- Enroll in rider course and always practice riding skills.
- Check the breaks and wheels and make sure that these are in proper condition.
Meanwhile, in case that a person encounters a road accident, he should seek a legal advice from Los Angeles Motorbike Accident Attorneys.