With warmer days and increased sunshine upon us, it can only mean one thing: summer has arrived, and the season of adventures begins. For those who love the open road and days under the sun, summer is the perfect time to hop on their motorcycles and enjoy the ride. However, this also means a higher likelihood of a motorcycle accident.
Risks of Riding a Motorcycle
Before revving up the engine, it’s crucial to ensure it’s safe to ride your motorcycle. Motorcycles have a reputation for being quite risky, with potentially catastrophic consequences in the event of an accident. From the dangers of speeding to a low visual profile and the absence of a protective chassis that shields your entire body, motorcycles come with heightened risks. This is why, before you ride, you need to take all the necessary safety precautions.
Can’t wait to hit the road with your motorcycle and see all the sights across Ontario? Before you go:
- Make sure it’s safe to ride.
- Check out this safety guide from our motorcycle accident attorneys.
- Ride your bike safely this summer and minimize the risk of life-altering accidents.
Safety Tips for Preventing Motorcycle Accidents
Before You Ride: Protect Yourself
A helmet is an essential item you should always wear when riding your motorcycle. There’s a reason why motorcycle riders in Ontario must wear a properly fitting helmet. It’s the only barrier between you and the road, providing crucial protection for your head and face against critical injuries like spinal cord damage or trauma to the head, brain, and neck.
However, don’t just wear a helmet. Helmets degrade with regular use and should be replaced every five to seven years. Additionally, if you’ve dropped your helmet or been impacted in a previous fall or accident, it needs to be replaced sooner to ensure effective protection.
Check Your Tires
Just like any vehicle, inspecting your tires and ensuring they’re in good condition is essential. Like most motorcycle owners, you likely didn’t ride your bike during the colder months. Now that it’s summer and the season of adventures on the road, it’s time to ensure your tires are functioning correctly.
Tire pressure often drops significantly during the colder months. Riding a motorcycle with low tire pressure makes it difficult to maneuver safely. When it gets warm enough to take your bike out of storage and ride it, perform a complete vehicle tune-up to top off the tire pressure and address any decaying tire treads.
Test and Tune-Up Your Brakes
Another crucial step before returning to your bike this summer is ensuring your brakes work correctly. Properly functioning brakes are essential to road safety among all vehicles, especially in preventing motorcycle accidents.
When taking your motorcycle out of storage, try squeezing the front brake and pressing the rear brake pedal. Additionally, keep an eye on the brake fluid level and add more if running low.
You should also inspect the calipers on the front and rear brakes and check the condition of the brake pad material. If the brake pads have deteriorated, consult with your mechanic to have them replaced before your first summer ride.
Ensure You are Visible
Compared to cars and SUVs, motorcycles are known to have a lower visual profile. So, what does this mean?
In simple terms, motorcycles and their riders are often less visible to other drivers, especially on busy roads and when it’s dark outside. The lack of visibility significantly increases the risk of collision, which can be fatal for motorcyclists.
To prevent motorcycle accidents, ensure your vehicle has at least two lights—white in front and red at the back. If your motorcycle has a sidecar, it must have three lights—two in front and one at the back.
Wear light and brightly coloured outerwear as much as possible when riding. Avoid wearing dark colours, predominantly black, as these significantly reduce visibility. Beyond the colour of your clothes, it’s even more crucial that your motorcycle is visible. Similar to clothing, dark-coloured motorcycles are at risk of poor visibility and collisions. While you can’t change the colour of your bike, adding light-coloured elements like reflective tape may help with visibility.
Know How to Share the Road
Now that you’re ready to ride your motorcycle, drive safely. As a motorcycle rider, taking extra precautions when navigating busy streets, highways, and open roads is essential. Since you’re not the only one out there, sharing the road safely is crucial.
To begin with, check the weather before you head out. Avoid riding your motorcycle in extreme weather conditions that cause low visibility on the road. On roads with more than two lanes, pass other motorists on the left side so the driver can see you in their blind spot. Similarly, avoid riding on gravel and poorly maintained roads. While different drivers can quickly stabilize their vehicle after hitting a bump, it’s more challenging for motorcycles.
If you’re riding with a group of motorcyclists, maintain sufficient distance between each other. Additionally, avoid riding too close to anyone to avoid hiding in their blind spot, which reduces the risk of collision.
When to Contact Lawyer For Car Accident’s Motorcycle Accident Attorneys
At Lawyer For Car Accident, our team of motorcycle accident attorneys is just a quick call away. If you or a loved one was injured in a motorcycle collision, it’s in your best interest to contact our firm immediately.
Our motorcycle accident attorneys in Ontario can help you initiate a claim for your injuries and the extent of the damages you suffered as a result of the crash. We assist you in filing a personal injury lawsuit and seeking damages for your medical and rehabilitation bills, lost wages and earning potential, home attendant care, and other pain and suffering that have impacted you and your loved ones. Our motorcycle accident attorneys will work with you to help ensure your recovery after this devastating event.
Were you or a loved one injured in a motorcycle crash? Book a consultation with a Lawyer For a Car Accident today. Talk to a motorcycle accident attorney to start your personal injury claim in Ontario.