With the increasing use of motorcycles for daily transport, it has become increasingly likely to see motorcycle accidents especially when mixed with car accidents. If you have a motorcycle or are planning on getting one, follow these tips to stay safe.

The Helmet

Make sure you always have a helmet and visor to keep your head safe at all times. Keep in mind that you are five times safer with a helmet on the road.

The Gear

Have the correct gear for your motorbike rides. Besides the helmet, have the right type of shoes, gloves and body cloths.

The Rules

Always respect the traffic rules like the speed limit and road signs. If an accident occurs, you are more likely to be injured compared to those in cars. You save your life and being booked by the cops.

Stay Alert

Always ride outside the blind spot of every car driver, indicate with the lights and other gestures and stay in your lane unless all is clear.

Get Educated

Before you buckle up ready for your ride, keep in mind that you will need to be trained first. Through this education, you can avoid a large part of the likely accidents.

Stay Sober

Never ride a motorcycle when you are high or drunk or drowsy with sleep. You will be very slow in your reacting to emergencies and other such cases.

Hitting the Road

When preparing to take a ride, you need to make sure of certain things about your bike. It should not be a one-time thing but rather always do that before starting the engine. The aspects to consider include;

  • Keep the tires inflated as much as possible and make sure that they have no cracks or other such defects. Keep in mind that any discrepancy could lead to a tire blowout and a fatal accident.
  • Ensure the lights are working as needed. Test the taillight, headlamps and indicators to ascertain their effectiveness. Test any other lights on your bike in this stage.
  • Make sure that your bike is dry and clean for safety reasons. Look under it for any signs of oil and gas leaks. While small in size, they mean there is a big problem on your bike.
  • Check for the fluid levels for safety purposes. If your bike has hydraulics and coolants, have all these levels checked. The most obvious one is that of fuel. You don’t want your ride being cut short by a lack of fuel.

Before you Charge Ahead…

After the above tests, don’t think you are already safe. There are still other aspects that need to be taken care of before you hit the ignition key. They are;

  • Cleaning the mirrors before adjusting them to give you the right angle of things from your position of riding. Ensure you have as wide a viewing angle as possible.
  • Test the horn to ensure it is working properly. When on the road and your lights have failed, your horn will ensure you are noticed by the other drivers on the road.
  • The throttle and the clutch should be functioning well as needed. Any issues with these two should be fixed as quickly as possible since the bike will be a disaster in waiting if they are not fixed.
  • The brakes should also be firm enough to bring the bike to a full stop when fully applied. Each individual brake should be working fully on its own for when the other one fails.

When you are in court seeking damages, your attorney will have a far easier time if you kept to these rules in riding your bike.