Motorcycle safety is important for all of us. In a city like Nashville or Bowling Green, we share the road with motorcycles, scooters, and bicycles every day. This article outlines a few simple tips and best practices for how best to safely share the road with motorcycles.
According to data collected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 135 motorcycle riders were killed in 2016. Nationally, there were 5,286 motorcyclists killed in 2016. This is a 5.1 percent increase from the 5,029 motorcyclists killed in 2015.
How to Practice Motorcycle-Driver Safety
While alcohol and speeding are a factor in some cases, it’s up to those driving vehicles to do their part to keep the roads safe for everyone, including motorcycle riders. Below are a few tips for drivers operating cars and trucks to practice motorcycle safety and adhere to safety laws while on the road.
Be aware of your blind spots.
It’s important to check and recheck blind spots for motorcycles and scooters on the road. They are smaller than cars and can be tricky to see when changing lanes or turning. It’s always helpful to actually look instead of relying on mirrors alone.
Don’t follow too close.
Leave plenty of room between you and the motorcycle in front of you. This will give you more time to react in case the motorcycle makes a quick turn or an adjustment to avoid something in the road.
Use your turn signals.
We need to use turn signals all the time, but especially when motorcycles are in view. It lets both cars and motorcycles know what our intentions are behind the wheel, especially when changing lanes!
Dim your headlights.
When approaching a motorcycle going in the opposite direction, turn your high beams off. They are more blinding to motorcycles that car drivers.
Don’t drive distracted or under the influence.
This goes without saying, but it is dangerous to drive under the influence or distracted. Distracted driving includes eating while driving, applying makeup, talking or texting, or even operating a GPS either in the car or on a phone. Anything that takes your attention away from the road and the traffic around you is considered a distraction.
As a main takeaway, automobile drivers should always be careful on our roads. With Tennessee and Kentucky populations growing every year, we will continue to see a growth in the number of motorcycles, scooters, and bicycles that share the road. Those of us driving cars and trucks must do our part to protect motorcyclists.
Have you been involved or injured in a motorcycle accident?
