Did you know that motorcyclists are 27 times more likely to die in a motor accident? It’s no wonder motorcyclists are often very safety-conscious. Most of the time a lot of the dangers motorcyclists face are out of their control. This is what those with more than two wheels can do to help motorcyclists have a safe trip!
Look twice and save a life
Have you ever been in a car and then a motorbike comes flying down the side of you? This is how the vast majority of bike accidents happen and you can just imagine how this turns out for the motorcyclist rider. Fair play, it can be quite difficult to see a motorcyclist in your blind spots, this is why it’s even more important before making a left turn, that there is no traffic, especially motorcycles!
It’s your intersections where most accidents tend to happen. You’ve probably seen it happen with vehicles turning in front of motorcyclists and you know exactly what’s about to happen. So long as you avoid any abrupt lane changes and check over that shoulder, you’ll be doing your bit to drive safely around motorcyclists.
Respectable distance
When you’re driving behind motorcycles, it’s all about increasing that gap. Following at a safe distance is what it’s all about. This is a win-win for both you and the motorcyclist, with more time to stop or move without causing an accident.
Do you remember the four-second rule? The same applies to the distance between you and motorcycles too. Pick an object near the roadway and count the seconds between when the motorcycle passes it and when your vehicle does. If you don’t reach four seconds, then you’ve got your foot down too much and need to take it off a little.
Let’s not forget, a motorcycle cans stop much quicker than a car too, so if you are following too closely behind one, and they need to stop suddenly, we all know what could happen. You won’t be able to stop as quickly as they cannot even if you tried. It’s all those defensive driving techniques twofold around bikers.
Signals are everything
The worst thing that you can do is rely on a motorcyclist’s turn signals, that’s probably never going to happen. Like cars, if the sun is at the right angle, then any kind of turn signal from a motorcyclist would be invisible anyway.
It’s shocking how many people don’t use their signals, especially with how important they are for telling other drivers what you’re about to do. Motorcyclists are even harder to see than any other vehicles and they like to weave in and out of traffic, which is why you should use your signals.
Imagine if the motorcyclist didn’t see your turn signal in time? The motorcyclists need to see your intentions before it’s too late. If you love a good signal anyway and you’re already doing this, you’ll have nothing to worry about as long as you keep a beady eye out for those motorcyclists.
Lane changing
We’re all probably familiar with how risky lane changing can be, never mind when there are motorcyclists involved too. Before moving to another lane, if you can hear or see motorcyclists, take a second to look to see how close by they are. If you’re about to turn or overtake, cut in front, it’s all about the blind spots, especially for an approaching motorcyclist. They need all the room and all the time they can get to lane change safely just like you.
Any rat decision could take a turn for the worse when a motorcyclist is involved. So long as you have alerted them to what your next move is about to be, that you plan on changing lanes, jobs a gooden.
Any distraction is a distraction
It goes without saying, and you probably don’t
need us to tell you that as a driver, you shouldn’t be distracted while you’re
driving. That is the last thing that you need. It’s so dangerous to be
distracted when you’re driving, never mind if you’re driving around a
motorcyclist.
When you look at a motorcyclist on the road
you can see how exposed they are to the road, even with the amount of protection
that they have on. The minute you turn away or you become distracted, this massively
reduces your reaction time and you might not notice any sudden changes on the
road. If you were driving around a motorcyclist, you might not see them coming
or stopping until it’s too late.
The best thing you can do turns your phone
or put it in your glove box. If you need to make any adjustments to your
vehicle, best to do it before your start driving you can. Limit your
conversation and be well-rested before setting off. It is simple things like this
that can make all of the difference, especially for motorcyclists too.
