ALT-6 How to Safely Share the Road with Motorcycles
Wow motorcycles! My dad finally got his new Hog. He's going through midlife, so it is expected. Ever since he's gotten it, though, I've learned a lot about motorcycle safety.
Serious injury can occur in a matter of just an instant whenever on the road. Being in a motorcycle accident greatly increases the chances of critical injury or even death. Going no more than 20mph, a friend of mine lost control of her motorcycle and broke her pelvic bone in 2 places, her arm, and scratched up the entire front of her body. She even suffered burns on the inside of her legs, and was in the hospital for 2 weeks. It has been 2 years, but she still has nasty scars and walks a little funny. Another friend of mine was hit by a car while stopping at an intersection. The driver of the car didn't see him and drove up too close next to him breaking his leg, pelvic bone, both arms, and causing permanent short term memory loss. My friend was wearing his helmit at the time too.
It if just very important to be extra cautious when driving with motorcyclists on the the road. When the weather is really nice, people ride their motorcycles even more. Especially after it's been really nasty outside for a long time. Be extra careful on the the first sunny day after a week of rain or the first warm day after 3 months of winter.
In nice weather, it is better if you drive with your windows down. That way, you are more likely to hear a motorcyle if one is close to you, and it even saves you gas mileage as proven by mythbusters.
If you are driving behind a motorcyclist, it is standard to give them extra room at a stoplight. This extra room will not only allow you to stay clear of the motorcyclist, but will make it easier for them to see other traffic, so that they don't also make mistakes.
Finally, a good way to stay safe with motorcyclists on the road is to study the motorcyclist's driver's manual, which is free at your local BMV, or on the BMV website. Knowing what motorcyclists are paying attention to will give you a better understanding of what they are doing and will make you more aware of their movements. For instance, did you know that a motorcyclist used 1 lane of the highway as if it were 3 lanes depending on where traffic is? In this situation, a driver might think that the motorcyclist was about to change lanes and start to speed up anticipating a lane change. This is a mistake when driving along with motorcyclists, and can cause serious accidents.
The best things to do when driving with motorcyclists, is to be extra aware of your surroundings. And also learn everything you can about motorcyclist behavior on the road.
