If you receive licensing to ride a motorcycle, then you have proven to the authorities that you can do it. However, now you are on your own. You must pay attention to your actions behind the wheel. Unsafe driving can lead to mishaps, not to mention serious accidents. If you commit such offenses, then you will likely face the consequences. So, what do you do? Here’s a few suggestions you should follow as you begin to bike on your own.
Your motorcycle is a vehicle, just like any other car or truck. However, it has unique qualities that create the need for specialized operations. Pay attention to safety, and you’ll have less to worry about on the open road.
Risks of motorcycle operations
Park your bike next to the average car. You’ll notice a lot of differences, like:
- The bike has two wheels, not four
- The steering apparatus isn’t a wheel, but handlebars
- The braking and acceleration system has a different style of pedals
- Bikes usually only have a single light, rather than two
- When you ride your bike, you don’t have insulation. A car has a roof and sides. A bike doesn’t. You face the open air, and all hazards that come with it.
These statistics, and others, make the risks you face on a bike different from those of a car. Indeed, riding a motorcycle is often more dangerous than driving a car. Bikes have less stability, and they require care and balance to operate. In wrecks, bikers tend to have less protection from impacts and injuries as opposed to those in cars.
So, to ride safely, bikers need to keep their special cases in mind. Taking risky steps and not paying attention will often prove dangerous. You don’t want to pay the price because you make a faulty mistake that causes harm to you and others.
Keeping yourself safe during maneuvers
Like every driver, bikers must operate safely. But, because you have to pay extra attention to operations, give extra thought to your own actions. Consider some of the actions you need to pay attention to when on the road:
- Speed: Bikes often have very sensitive accelerators. Their stability might also decrease as you speed up. You might have to work harder to keep your balance. Maintaining safe speeds can help you do so more easily. You might even feel tempted to speed up to experience the wind in your hair. Don’t give in. You have to follow the same speed laws as every other driver.
- Visibility: Again, your bike is a lot smaller than a car. It also generally has one headlight, and much smaller tail lights. Thus, you have to make sure that others can see you and that you can see them. Make ample use of your lights. Stay out of the blind spots that exist in the peripheral of a driver’s rear mirrors. Riding too closely to another vehicle might put you in this zone. Don't try to become invisible enough to others.
- Stability: You have to balance your motorcycle on its two wheels. It is the same principle you used when you learned to ride a bike as a child. However, now you are using a much more complicated machine. Driving recklessly, or failing to sit properly on the bike, might make it hard to maintain balance. Sudden failures in balance could cause accidents.
- Maneuverability: You might think your bike can zip through traffic with ease. Indeed, it can. However, just because it might seem maneuverable, that doesn’t mean you should use it that way. Speeding, weaving making sudden movements might cause devastation. Needless to say, trying to do wheelies or other tricks while in traffic is not a safe idea either. Many states ban such actions.
- Signaling: Some states require bikers to give hand signals when making certain maneuvers. Bikers might face a rule to use hand signals when stopping, turning, changing lanes and more. It adds visibility and helps you communicate intentions with other drivers.
The more you pay attention to operating safety, the lower your chances of making mistakes. Therefore, you'll avoid situations that could lead to tickets or other penalties. Of course, do not forget to wear your helmet or other safety gear. Many states require these under threat of penalty.
The resulting penalties
If you commit traffic offenses, you might face tickets, license suspension, and more. One of the most noticeable might be an increase in your motorcycle insurance premium. Traffic offenses might make your insurer believe that you are a high-risk driver. That means you have a high risk of filing a claim. Your insurance provider might have no choice but to charge you more because of this risk. Some might even refuse to cover you at all.
So, consider it your priority to drive safely every time you ride your motorcycle. It will help you avoid potential headaches on multiple fronts.