(content by Alex S)
If you’ve just gotten a new motorcycle and you’re ready to take it on the road for the first time, there are a few things that you’re going to want to know and do to make sure that you’re able to keep yourself as safe as possible. Especially considering how motorcycles can be more dangerous than driving in an enclosed vehicle and put you at greater risk for motorcycle accidents, it’s vital to your health that you know how to safely operate these vehicles.
To help you in doing this, here are three road safety tips for new motorcycle riders.
Keep Your Body Protected
When riding on your motorcycle, protecting your body should be of the utmost importance, and the best way to do this is to make sure that you’re always wearing the correct protective gear each and every time you get on your motorcycle.
Starting from the ground up, you’ll want to be sure that you have strong and sturdy boots that you wear while riding your motorcycle. These will help to protect your feet both from the motorcycle itself and from the ground when you’re stopped on your motorcycle. As a good rule of thumb, you should wear long pants and long sleeves over your skin to protect from road rash. The best materials to wear include things like leather that won’t easily get shredded if you end up on the ground. You can also wear things like gloves and goggles to protect your hands and eyes. And to top it all off, you should always securely wear your helmet.
Be A Responsible Driver
As a motorcycle rider, there are a few different rules that you can follow on the road. However, despite what you’re legally allowed to do or what you feel like you can do on your motorcycle, to keep you safe, you’re going to want to make responsible decisions about how you drive and interact with other vehicles when you’re on the road.
To be safe on the road, you’ll want to make sure you’re giving yourself a lot of space between yourself and other drivers and that you’re driving defensively to best protect yourself.
Make Yourself Easy To Be Seen
Because many drivers don’t expect to see as many motorcycles as they do larger vehicles, you’ll want to do everything in your power to make sure that you’re easily seen by other drivers when you’re on a motorcycle.
To do this, you can and should have your lights on, use reflectors, and always use your turn signals.
If you’re a new motorcycle rider, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you be safe while on the road and ensure that other drivers do their part to help keep you safe as well.
