Important Tips For Biker Safety
Having a motorbike can be a means of achieving freedom without needing to deal with a larger vehicle. Bikes can be a great way of travelling to and from locations, especially when you need to navigate around city traffic. However, due to their size and structure, you may be at a greater risk of damage and injury should an accident occur. Due to this, you might want to consider some of the different ways that you can maximise your safety, while still getting to travel on the bike that you love.
Having Insurance
Insuring your bike can be a good first step to covering yourself should something go wrong. This may, depending on the policy you take out, cover both your bike and any other vehicles or property, should they become damaged, as well as medical bills that result from an incident. If you have any other vehicles, you might also want to consider taking out collision insurance on them. As a biker, you, more than anyone, should know about the potentially dangerous risks associated with having a motorcycle, so it can be a good idea to help protect other drivers, even if you are in a more robust vehicle at the time.
Wear Your Helmet
The helmets that motorcyclists wear differ greatly from those used for sporting, or even for riding a common bicycle. The head can be extremely delicate, especially when you factor in the potential for high-speed crashes. During studies on accidents involving motorcycles, it has been found that head and neck injuries were incredibly prevalent. A good helmet should be able to absorb the majority of the impact, protecting sensitive tissues and bones. You should also consider the fit of your helmet. One that is too loose may be able to shift around, meaning it may not be giving you as much protection as you like. Tightening any straps can also be important. A fibreglass helmet may be able to protect you better than plastic, however dropping it can lead to damage, so it can be good practice to look after your helmet, even when off your bike.
And Finally...
Make Yourself Visible
One of the common issues that motorcyclists might face is that, due to their size, they are not as easy to spot as other vehicles. This issue can be made worse in the dark, or even weather conditions with poor visibility. However, there are ways to compensate for this. Alongside wearing that all-important protective gear, you might also want to think about adding high visibility clothing, such as vests or reflective strips, on top. This means that the light from other vehicles may better reflect off of you and your bike, increasing visibility and, potentially, reducing the likelihood of a collision.
While riding a motorcycle can be fun, it is also important to improve and maintain your safety. These important tips can help protect vehicles, yourself and your passenger, and even other road users.