Regardless of the activity, you can’t become an expert without being a rookie first. While rookie mistakes for some activities simply cause embarrassment, for motorcycling however, mistakes may cause fatal motorcycle accidents. Learn to avoid these four beginner riding mistakes the easy way by reading about them rather than experiencing them:
Assuming That Others on the Road See You
Your small size and slender profile means that many motorists will fail to notice you. When motorists are paying attention to their driving, they mostly look for other cars and trucks. Doing this means they only see what they’re looking for, which isn’t you. Whether you have the right of way or not, always assume that you are invisible to others on the road and be ready to react when they fail to see you.
Your Finger Is Nowhere near the Brake and Clutch Levers
Your speed is everything in surviving a motorcycle accident. Your best speed is zero mph or slow enough to swerve when a car cuts you off at an intersection, and a fast reaction time goes a long way to ensuring this. Even if you can’t avoid colliding with another vehicle, the more speed you bleed off, the better the outcome. Besides being well rested and alert, you can reduce your overall reaction time by keeping your finger on both the brake and clutch levers. Doing this eliminates one step in the braking process.
Target Fixating
On motorcycles, you tend to go where you look. A common beginner mistake when something on the road rattles them, is to fixate their eyes on it. This is called target fixation which can cause you to hit the very thing you want to avoid. If you are rounding a corner and something takes you by surprise such as a parked car that’s halfway in your lane, look where you want to go which is to the left of the car. Staring at the car will cause you to ride into it.
Taking a Passenger with You before You’re Ready
Your bike handles differently when you have a passenger. Until you’ve developed the skills to compensate for this, ride solo. In addition to different handling, your passenger may panic if it’s their first time and may do things that you won’t be able to counter.
If you need to talk to an experienced motorcycle accident attorney, don’t hesitate to contact us.