Motorcycle Safety Tips from a Louisville Personal Injury Lawyer
There’s no substitute for the thrill of the open road—just you and your bike. But riding a motorcycle can also be dangerous and comes with a much higher risk of serious or fatal injuries than driving a car.
We’re not here to discourage you from riding. In fact, our law firm is a proud supporter of the motorcycle community. We are a regular sponsor of events including the Flag Ride for USA Cares, the Sgt. Hilgert Memorial Ride, and the Kentucky Motorcycle Association Toys for Tots Motorcycle Run.
Instead, we want to encourage all motorcycle riders to take safe riding seriously. While there’s no way to protect yourself from a negligent motorist with 100% certainty, safe riding can significantly reduce your risk of getting in a crash—and your chances of serious injury or death.
Take Motorcycle Safety and Skill Development Courses
In Kentucky and Indiana (and many other states), riders are required to take a state-approved motorcycle safety training course before obtaining a license.
However, you should think of your initial safety course as a starting point, not an end point! Improving your skills and awareness as a rider should be a lifelong goal and focus.
Truman Law regularly hosts motorcycle safety courses at our offices, which you are welcome to attend. There are also many other local courses you can take that focus on riding techniques, safe riding practices, and more. Plus, there’s no shortage of books you can read, videos you can watch, and more experienced riders to talk to.
Always Wear Protective Gear
Helmet laws are fairly lax in the states where we practice. Most fully licensed riders over the age of 18 (in Indiana) or 21 (Kentucky) are not required to wear one.
However, following the law and being safe are two very different things. We always recommend riders protect themselves from head to toe with:
- A motorcycle helmet that fully protects the eyes and face (“full face helmet”)
- A long-sleeved motorcycle jacket and long pants made of a tough fabric like leather or heavy denim (regular jeans typically aren’t tough enough and will get shredded in a motorcycle accident)
- Riding gloves
- Riding boots or shoes that go over the ankle
Again, even if you are the world’s safest rider, the risk of a crash is never zero. Unexpected hazards and unpredictable drivers can still cause you to fall. The right gear can make the difference between recovering from your injuries in a few weeks or months, or never recovering at all.
Always Perform a Pre-Ride Check
The worst time to find out about a safety issue is when you’re already on the road. Before every time you get on the bike, make sure you:
- Check your tire pressure
- Check your tire tread depth
- Check your fluid levels
- Check your headlights
- Check your turn signals and brake lights
- Check your brakes
- Check for any signs of oil or gas leaks
We know it might seem excessive to check things like fluid levels or tread depth every time you ride, but it really doesn’t take very much of your time. By getting into the habit, you won’t forget to check when you really need to.
Know the Laws
Every state has its own traffic laws specific to motorcyclists in addition to all motor vehicle operators in general. You should fully familiarize yourself with these laws in your home state, as well as any other state where you plan to ride. Different states may have varying laws on matters such as:
- Helmet use
- Motorcycle noise level
- Access to public lands
- Insurance requirements
That said, remember that something is “legal” doesn’t mean it’s safe. For example, even if lane splitting is allowed (or at least not illegal) under state law, you should still exercise caution and only do so when the conditions allow you to do so safely.
Keep an Eye Out for Hazards
Road hazards that an SUV driver would shrug off (or not even notice) could be disastrous for a motorcycle rider. Potholes, uneven pavement, loose gravel, slick road surfaces, fallen branches, and other debris are all examples of potential trouble.
As you ride:
- Anticipate hazards based on the weather, terrain, and traffic conditions
- Scan the road ahead continuously for hazards
- Stay under the speed limit, and adjust speed and riding technique as necessary
Make sure you know what to do when you encounter hazardous conditions—adjust speed, adjust lane position, identify a potential escape route, etc.
Ride Defensively
All motorcyclists should understand the risks posed by other drivers. Even if you’re a safe rider, that doesn’t guarantee that someone in a car, SUV, or pickup truck is going to see you, hear you, or act in a predictable manner.
In fact, drivers of automobiles sometimes fail to notice motorcyclists even when they’re looking straight at them. This is due to a phenomenon known as perceptual blindness: if you’re not expecting to see something, your brain might not register it right away.
So, defensive driving is an absolute must. Ride as if you know that other drivers won’t see you.
- Scan the road ahead continuously, as well as check your mirrors and blind spots
- Understand where the blind spots are on other vehicles and avoid riding in them
- Anticipate the actions of other drivers and be prepared to respond
- Maintain a safe following distance so you can react to sudden, unexpected braking or slowdowns.
- Position your motorcycle to provide the clearest visibility and most time to react to potential hazards
- Slow down in areas where risk is greater, such as tight or blind turns, intersections, or next to parked cars
- Communicate your intentions to other drivers as much as possible, including the use of electronic or hand signals
- Try to make eye contact with other drivers before a maneuver to make sure they see you (but don’t let that make you overconfident that they do!)
- Identify potential escape routes, such as an open lane or road shoulder, if you need to make a sudden evasive maneuver
- Regularly practice your riding techniques including accelerating, braking, and emergency maneuvers (again, this is where taking advanced training courses can come in handy)
Ride Sober
We know that the legal limit for blood alcohol content (BAC) in Kentucky and Indiana is 0.08. But if you plan to ride your motorcycle, your limit should be 0. Safe riding requires a high level of focus and awareness. The cost of a single slip-up can be catastrophic.
Even a single drink or a small amount of drugs in your system can significantly impair your ability to ride safely—even more so than your ability to drive a car. These substances can impair judgement, slow your reaction time, affect your balance and coordination, distort your senses, and negatively affect throttle control and braking ability. They may even give you false confidence to take risks that you shouldn’t.
Drugs and alcohol use contribute to a significant percentage of motorcycle accidents (and especially fatal ones). In many of these cases, the operator was well below the legal limit. Don’t risk it.
Quiz: Are You a Safe Motorcyclist?
Hurt in a Motorcycle Crash? Count on the Colonel
Even if you do everything right, you could still be the victim of someone else’s negligence on the road. Unfortunately, motorcyclists not only suffer more severe injuries in crashes than car drivers (on average), but they’re also more likely to be unfairly blamed for causing the accident.
If you or a loved one has been in a motorcycle accident that was someone else’s fault, don’t hesitate to contact the Karl Truman Law Office at 502-222-2222 today. Our legal team has years of experience helping motorcyclists and their families obtain compensation for medical treatment, pain and suffering, punitive damages, and more following a collision. We provide compassionate support and aggressive legal representation, and we aren’t afraid to take cases to trial when necessary. Call today for your free consultation.