Preventing Injuries In Motorcycle Accidents: What You Should Know

When you head out on a motorcycle ride, you can never anticipate when an accident can occur. Motorcycle accidents result in major injuries and damage to your property. To minimize your injuries, it is crucial that you make every effort to practice rider safety. Here are some tips to keep yourself safe when you ride a motorcycle:

Wear Protective Gear

One of the most important things you can do as a motorcycle rider is to wear proper protective gear. A helmet is a must if you want to minimize the likelihood of head injuries. Many states actually require riders to wear a helmet. Head injuries are very common in motorcycle accidents when the rider opts not to wear a helmet

You also need to wear protective clothing. Your riding gear should include long sleeved shirts and long pants made from leather or some other abrasion resistant material. Additionally, you should wear some type of eye protection, such as polarized sunglasses or a shield attached to your helmet. This not only protects your eyes from the sun, but also helps prevent any dust or debris from getting into your eyes and obstruct your vision. Your clothing should also have be reflective in nature, particularly for night riding or riding in bad weather.

Do Not Split Lanes

You always need to ride a motorcycle just like you would a car. Lane splitting is a dangerous maneuver some bikers opt to do that places them at a major risk of injury. When a bike splits lanes, it simply means the bike skirts in and out between cars to get past traffic. Unfortunately, this places the biker in a dangerous predicament, especially if a car is not paying attention and inadvertently changes lanes without realizing you are suddenly there.

Know Your Limits

Above all, you should know your limits and practice your riding skills, no matter how long you have ridden a motorcycle. If you are in heavy traffic or moving down a fast-paced interstate, it is not the time to test new skills or try new maneuvers. If you want to improve your skills, consider taking riding classes from a professional bike trainer. You will be learning in a controlled environment without the risk of severe injury. Learning how to ride in and deal with heavy traffic or poor conditions will help improve your skills and prevent future injuries.

If you are involved in a motorcycle accident, you need to contact your motorcycle accident attorney right away. If your accident is due to another diver's negligence, you could receive compensation for your damages.