Riding a motorcycle can be thrilling, but also dangerous if proper precautions aren’t taken. While motorcycles make up only 3% of registered vehicles in the United States, motorcycle crashes account for 14% of all traffic fatalities. Equipping yourself with defensive riding strategies and skills is key to staying safe on the roads. Implementing these tactics and maintaining focused attention can help motorcyclists avoid hazardous situations and prevent accidents.
Scan and Assess Your Surroundings
Actively scanning the environment and being aware of surrounding conditions, vehicles, and potential hazards is one of the core principles of defensive riding. Look ahead of the motorcycle, checking blind spots, monitoring the behavior of nearby vehicles, and identifying risks like debris, potholes, slick spots, or other road abnormalities. Use all of your senses to continuously evaluate your situational awareness and early detection of dangers before they escalate. Making scanning your surroundings a habitual practice is vital for risk reduction.
Manage Your Following Distance
Leaving ample following distance between your motorcycle and the vehicle in front of you gives you crucial extra time to react. The general rule of thumb is maintaining a 4-second following distance on dry roads. This gap should be increased during inclement weather. If you are being tailgated, allow extra room in front of you and avoid sudden braking if possible. Monitoring what’s happening well ahead of you and leaving buffer room minimizes how abruptly you may need to react.
Use Extreme Caution at Intersections
Intersections pose heightened risks due to vehicles crossing paths and entering or exiting at varying speeds. Approach intersections conservatively, covering the clutch and brakes as an extra safety net in case you need to stop abruptly. Scan side streets and look through windows to get the earliest possible notice of someone about to enter the intersection. At stop signs or lights, stop behind other vehicles to benefit from their buffer zone for enhanced visibility and reaction time. Avoid lingering in intersections where visibility decreases.
Master Emergency Braking Techniques
Knowing how to properly handle emergency braking can spell the difference between colliding or stopping in time. Experts recommend a 70/30 front/rear brake balance, with 70% braking power coming from the front. Grabbing too much front brake force could send you flying over the handlebars. Practice braking in empty parking lots to control skidding. In an emergency stop, apply even pressure to front and rear brakes while downshifting gears. Keep weight and vision focused forward while resisting the urge to stare down.
Stay Visible and Communicate Intent
Take measures to stand out and catch the attention of other motorists to compensate for a motorcycle’s smaller profile. Wear bright, reflective gear and keep headlights on even during daytime. Avoid lingering in blind spots and quickly transition across hazardous areas like intersections. Use turn signals early and clearly indicate lane changes. Tap brake lights before slowing to signal reduced speed to vehicles behind you, especially in low visibility conditions. The more visible you make your actions, the less likely other drivers are to violate your space.
Ride Defensively in Groups
When riding in groups, apply defensive strategies as a pack. Keep adequate spacing between riders for stopping distance. Experienced riders should lead and set the pace. Identify hazards and signal early when stopping or turning. Groups should ride in a staggered formation, with leader on left third of the lane, second rider on right third, third back on left, and so on to provide adequate cushion on all sides. Each rider focuses forward to identify risks for the group as a whole. Defensive group riding demands alertness and communication between all members.
Preempt Hazards in Your Path
Roadway hazards like potholes, debris, railroad tracks, slippery manhole covers, or lane marking paint all jeopardize traction. Scan ahead for these or other abnormalities so you can proactively react. Adjust lane position to avoid the hazard, reducing speed in advance if necessary. Similarly, staying alert to surrounding vehicles drifting into your path or making unsafe lane changes enables early evasive action. Identify risks emerging around you and take precautionary measures to avoid the hazard well in advance of reaching it.
Implementing defensive riding principles focused on risk reduction, skill development, and heightened focused attention equips motorcyclists to share the roads more safely. Consistently scanning surroundings, communicating intent, managing following distance, and preempting hazards early on work together to avoid accidents for the vigilant rider.
While no strategy can guarantee immunity from all crashes, dedication to honing defensive riding tactics will enable bikers to dramatically reduce risk exposure. But if you are unlucky enough to be involved in an accident with another road user, speak to one of our experienced motorcycle accident attorneys.
Visit the office at 700 Bishop St, Ste 2100, Honolulu, HI, 96813.
Call us today for a free consultation on (808) 745-1592.