A big push has been made in recent years to try to increase drivers’ awareness of motorcycles on the road in an attempt to decrease the number of motorcycle accidents and deaths. While motorcycles can be fun vehicles to drive and get great gas mileage, they are, in fact, more dangerous to drive than a car, and motorcycle safety should be top priority while riding.
This article by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) explains:
Maintaining control is harder on two wheels than on four, and when crashes occur, motorcyclists are at greater risk of serious injury or death because they don’t have an enclosed vehicle to protect them. Although motorcyclist deaths have fallen from their 2008 peak of more than 5,000, the 4,295 that occurred in 2014 were still more than double the number from 1997.
Even though the likelihood of getting in a motorcycle accident is greater than a car accident, there are ways to decrease your chances of crashing and stay safe on the road:
- Find the right size motorcycle for you. Motorcycles have a very wide-range of sizes, so make sure that you don’t get one that’s too big and too powerful for you to handle.
- Always wear a helmet. Let’s face it: your mom is a smart woman. She always made you wear your helmet for a good reason. Wearing a helmet can drastically decrease the likelihood that you’ll die in a motorcycle crash and protect you from severe brain trauma.
- Drive defensively. Assume no one can see you and always be aware of your surroundings. Follow the rules of the road and keep a safe distance between you and the car in front of you.
Drive safe out there!