Common Motorcycle Injuries: 8 Ways to Stay Safe on the Road

According to statistics, compared to car accidents, motorcycle accidents result in triple the number of injuries, 6 times the medical bills, and 5 times more deaths. These are sobering facts for any bike rider. Fortunately, there are ways to significantly reduce your risk of accidents and motorcycle injuries while on the road. By following these protocols, you can carry on taking to the open road, but with a far lower chance of the unthinkable happening.

Ready to learn how to increase your bike safety and prowess? Stay with us as we dive into 8 ways you can avoid motorcycle accident injuries.

1. To the Right, to the Right

One of the first tips you can implement to reduce the risk of accidents is sticking to the right. This means staying out of the left-hand lane whenever possible and sticking to the righthand side of the right lane itself.

Why is this important?

Sticking to the right reduces the risk of head-on crashes, one of the deadliest accident types. Head-on crashes involving bikes usually occur when an oncoming car swerves out of its lane into the oncoming traffic.

In many of these scenarios, the driver has not noticed the bike on the road and fails to take corrective action. But whatever the cause, you can reduce the risk of head-ons by keeping away from the oncoming traffic.

2. Maintain the Right Following Distance

Also known as a cushion, adequate following distance is very important for reducing the risk of rear-end collisions.

The more distance you keep between yourself and the next vehicle, the more time you have to brake or swerve out of the way if something unforeseen happens up ahead.

Keep in mind that the faster you are going, the greater your following distance should be. A general rule of thumb is that if you are going 65mph, you should aim to keep a 150-foot following distance, at a bare minimum.

If your speed increase at all, so should your following distance.

3. Get Good at Turns

Roughly one-third of all motorcycle accidents involve no other vehicles. Many of these solo accidents do involve corners, however.

To make sure you don’t suffer injury from your bike slipping out from under you on a corner, it’s a good idea to practice taking turns. Be honest with yourself about how good your turns are and put in the time and patience to get them up to speed.

Talking about speed; that is the number one influencing factor in cornering accidents. Make it a habit to slow down adequately for turns. Also, slow down ahead of time, not only as you take the turn.

4. Don’t Speed

As you probably know, speed isn’t just a problem at corners. Speed can kill anywhere, and increased speed comes with a higher chance of accidents, injuries, and potentially death.

If you want to decrease the chance of accidents significantly, then stick to the speed limit. This will protect you not only from injury but from fines and penalties on your license as well. It’s an all-out win-win, not to mention – it’s the law.

5. Be Seen

Because motorcyclists do not take up as much road space as other vehicles, accidents can happen purely because a motorist didn’t see you until it was too late.

An easy way to lower your risk factor for collisions is to make yourself as visible as possible. This can start before you even hit the road. To increase safety, consider mounting extra lights and reflectors on your bike.

When it comes to gear, stay away from all-black and go for something bright and eye-catching. Neon colors are a great option.

Besides making you and your bike stand out from the road, you should also try to keep yourself visible to drivers at all times. This means staying away from blind spots and positioning yourself, so motorists have the highest chance of knowing you’re there.

6. Wear Your Helmet

You knew we were going to say it, and what guide to motorbike safety would be complete without mentioning the all-important tenant of wearing your helmet.

According to motorcycle injury statistics from the CDC, helmets reduce the risk of death from motorcycle accident injuries by 37%. They also reduce the chance of head injury by 69%.

Need we say more? Head injuries are some of the most serious and – providing you are lucky enough to survive – can leave you permanently impaired.

The takeaway? Wear your helmet, with no exceptions.

7. An Eye on Everything

A key component to avoiding motorcycle injuries and becoming a better rider is keeping your eye on everything. The more alert you are and the more focused you become on what’s happening around you, the better you’ll be at avoiding potential collisions.

The quicker you spot a danger, the more time you will have to avoid it.

Therefore, make it a habit to scan the road and your mirrors continuously. The more alert you become, the more capable you’ll be at handling any situation that comes your way out on the road.

8. Don’t Drink and Ride

And of course, the other indisputable rule of road safety: don’t drink and drive, or in this case, ride.

Even though you might feel fine to ride after a couple, as little as two alcoholic beverages can decrease your ability to see straight, multitask (very important on a bike), and make quick judgments.

Bottom line, if you want to avoid motorcycle injuries, fines, having to call a motorcycle injury lawyer, and possibly even jail time, don’t drink and ride. Stick to the legal limit or abstain completely before riding for maximum alertness and safety.

Reduce Your Risk of Motorcycle Injuries With These Tips

By following these tips, you will become a better rider who has a reduced chance of getting into accidents. If you have already experienced motorcycle accident injuries, then you know the importance of this.

If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident recently, there’s another important thing you should know – what motorcycle injury lawyer to call.

Here at Sweet Law, we specialize in personal injury cases, particularly those involving road accidents and motorcycles. If you need assistance with a motorcycle accident personal injury claim, give your case the chance it deserves and call us.