Did you know May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month? Launched by the U.S. Department of Transportation\u2019s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, this month raises awareness about the dangers associated with using two wheels rather than four. It also serves to remind motorists to share the road with motorcyclists.<\/p>\n
\u201cMotorcyclists will be out in force as the weather gets warmer, which is why May is the perfect month for Motorcycle Safety Awareness,\u201d said Anthony Foxx, DOT secretary. \u201cFatal crashes with motorcycles are on the rise. We all need to be more aware of motorcyclists in order to save lives and make sure we all \u2018Share the Road.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, the need for motorcycle safety reminders is all too clear from the data. In 2018 alone, approximately 82,000 motorcyclists were injured on U.S. roads, according to the National Safety Council. This doesn\u2019t include the nearly 5,000 motorcyclists whose injuries cost them their lives; a 5% increase compared to 2017. In 2018, motorcycle-related fatalities outnumbered those from other vehicles by 27 times, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.<\/p>\n
This is why Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month is so important. However, at Elephant we know that motorcycle safety is important year \u2018round. That\u2019s why we\u2019ve put together this handy guide. The following motorcycle safety tips \u2013 both for riders and motorists \u2013 can help reduce the chances of being involved in an accident. Keep reading to learn the rules of the road.<\/p>\n
You need a motorcycle license<\/a> in order to ride, and the best way to ensure you know the rules of the road is by getting properly trained. Even if you\u2019re well-versed in riding proficiency, a refresher course can help ensure that you remain a defensive motorcyclist. Once you\u2019re ready to ride, you\u2019ll need the right equipment to keep yourself, and your fellow motorists, safe.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not uncommon to see riders wearing nothing but shorts and a t-shirt, especially when it\u2019s hot outside. But this combo runs the risk of severe injury if a vehicle stops short or someone runs a red light. Make sure to always cover bare skin when riding your bike by wearing:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n That last one is the most important. Wearing a DOT-approved helmet is actually required by law in most states. But it\u2019s also the piece of gear that\u2019s most likely to save your life. According to the National Safety Council (NSC), 1,908 motorcyclists who died in 2017 were not wearing a helmet<\/a>. A proper helmet is estimated to be 37% effective in preventing fatal injuries. In fact, the NHTSA estimates that helmets saved the lives of 1,859 motorcyclists in 2016<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n When purchasing a helmet for your motorcycle, these are the most important aspects to consider:<\/p>\n If you\u2019re a motorcycle rider, what better way to practice smart motorcycle safety than hitting the road for a ride? Wherever you wind up going, here\u2019s what you should be sure to do every time you jump in the saddle:<\/p>\n More than 80 percent of motorcycle accidents result in injury or death, according to NHTSA statistics. That risk drops dramatically by wearing a helmet \u2013 by almost one-third at 29 percent.\u00a0 Also, be sure that the rest of your body is covered up by wearing a long-sleeved shirt, pants, and a pair of gloves.<\/p>\n When you\u2019re out in the open air, distractions are everywhere. When you\u2019re at a lower height without doors and a roof, the same sights you never noticed in the car are often hard to miss on a bike. Keep your eyes on the road ahead of you and resist the temptation of looking around you.<\/p>\n You should always keep your hands on the handlebars except <\/em>when you\u2019re coming to a stop or plan on turning. Use the hand turn signals<\/a> you learned in your motorcycle driving education course. In addition to the directionals on your bike, this serves as just one more way to inform drivers around you of your intention to turn left or right.<\/p>\n The general rule when behind the wheel is to allow two seconds of room between yourself and the nearest car in front of you. On a motorcycle, though, the NHTSA recommends that you increase your distance to four seconds. Motorists are advised to do the same thing when they\u2019re behind motorcycles.<\/p>\n On two wheels, it\u2019s not as easy for motorists to see you as when you\u2019re driving a full-sized vehicle. To increase your visibility, wear colors that are easily distinguishable like white, orange, and yellow. There are also reflective vests you can wear that are ideal for driving at night.<\/p>\n Everyone hopes for a warm and sunny summer, as rain puts a real damper on outdoor fun activities. If rain is in the forecast, try to hold off on riding your bike until conditions clear. Besides the fact that you\u2019ll avoid getting wet, you\u2019ll also reduce the risk of being involved in an accident, as the roads won\u2019t be slick.<\/p>\n Wherever your motorcycle driving takes you this year, make sure you get there safely by adhering to these safety rules. Doing so will help continue the encouraging trend of fewer highway fatalities each year.<\/p>\n Like we mentioned, motorcycle safety isn\u2019t just down to motorcycle riders. Crashes involving motorcycles and other vehicles are responsible for 56% of motorcycle accident deaths<\/a>. These motorist-on-motorcycle accidents:<\/p>\n As motorists (and as the literal \u201cbigger person\u201d), we need to be aware of motorcycles on the road and how we can do our part to reduce the amount of motorcycle accidents and fatalities. Next time you\u2019re on the road, be sure to:<\/p>\n Motorcycles vary in size, but regardless of how big they are, they\u2019re easily overlooked \u2013 especially on roads that are highly congested. And, like we mentioned, if you\u2019re at a stop sign or are taking a turn into a parking lot or driveway, take an extra moment to look before pulling out or in.<\/p>\n Motorcycle riders are supposed to stay well behind motorists, but the same rule applies to drivers. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation suggests trailing a rider by at least four or five seconds.<\/p>\n Motorcycles have flashing directional indicators, but unlike automobiles, they don\u2019t always have an auto-off function (triggered when the handlebars move). That\u2019s why sometimes when riders\u2019 turn signals are flashing, they simply forgot to turn it off. There\u2019s no action for you to take here, other than to be aware of this possibility when you\u2019re on the roads and drive defensively.<\/p>\n Similarly, riders will often downshift to slow down, instead of applying the brakes before coming to a complete stop. As a result, try to increase your following distance, making sure to apply the brakes slightly earlier than you would if trailing a passenger vehicle.<\/p>\n The MSF has a few other pointers<\/a> to be mindful of as a driver on roads frequented by motorcyclists.<\/p>\n Elephant Insurance partners with Dairyland, providing riders with truly specialized motorcycle insurance coverage<\/a>. By pairing a motorcycle policy with auto insurance or homeowners insurance, you can save on premiums. You may be able to save even more after successfully completing a safety course. Get started on a quote today!<\/a><\/p>\n The post Your motorcycle safety guide<\/a> appeared first on Elephant Insurance<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Did you know May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month? Launched by the U.S. Department of Transportation\u2019s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, this month raises awareness about the dangers associated with using two wheels rather than four. It also serves to remind motorists to share the road with motorcyclists. \u201cMotorcyclists will be out in force as…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[16],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/torrent411.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/290"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/torrent411.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/torrent411.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/torrent411.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/torrent411.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=290"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/torrent411.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/290\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":291,"href":"http:\/\/torrent411.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/290\/revisions\/291"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/torrent411.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=290"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/torrent411.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=290"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/torrent411.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=290"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}The gear<\/h3>\n
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Wear the right helmet<\/h3>\n
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Motorcycle safety on the road<\/h2>\n
Wear protective gear<\/h3>\n
Avoid distractions<\/h3>\n
Use hand signals<\/h3>\n
Increase following distance<\/h3>\n
Avoid dark clothing<\/h3>\n
Try to drive only when the weather is good<\/h3>\n
Motorcycle safety for motorists<\/h2>\n
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Look, then look again<\/h3>\n
Allow plenty of space<\/h3>\n
Be skeptical of turn signals<\/h3>\n
Don\u2019t anticipate brake lights<\/h3>\n
The right insurance<\/h2>\n