Top 5 Terrible Motorcyclist Habits
No matter how much of a “good” rider you are, it’s likely that you have picked up a few bad habits and poor attitudes along the way. These can easily develop over time even without you realizing it. That is until we experience that close call or if you find yourself in an accident that may result in life-long changes. In order to keep you safe on the road, here are a few bad habits that you want to avoid. 1) Believing That You Are A Better Rider Than You Are Even if you consider yourself to be an "experienced" rider, that doesn't make you a proficient rider. Make sure to practice basic motorcycle safety and defensive driving during all your rides whether it is your first time on the road or your hundredth time. In fact, it wouldn't be a bad idea to take a motorcycle tip and safety course if at all possible. 2) Assuming The Coast Is Clear One of the most problematic situations you can get yourself into is when a motorcycle approaches an intersection with other drivers waiting to turn left across the rider’s land. A portion of the problem comes from the approach speed of a narrow vehicle being much harder to judge than it is for a wider vehicle. This is why the majority of motorcyclists experience drivers “cutting them off”.
Believe it or not, drivers aren’t out to get you. They are more likely to misjudge your approach speed and assume that you had plenty of time to make the turn. The best thing to take away is that you should never assume that a driver who seems to see you will not end up cutting in front of you. 3) Forgetting How Vulnerable You Are Sadly, due to the small size, lack of protection, and minimal traction, motorcycles are very dangerous to ride. Get in the habit of recognizing signs that should alert you to threats in the area. That means making more of an effort to get to know the landscape and roadway so you can be aware of anything that could be hazardous.
You also need to ensure there is always space between you and other vehicles on the road. Just the fact that you are hard to see can be enough for a car to not notice your there until it is too late. That’s why you need to always be on the defensive while you are out on your bike. 4) Not Wearing Your Helmet And Other Important Gear Unfortunately, way too many motorcyclist choose not to wear their full protective gear including a helmet. A few states have helmet laws in order to enforce wearing them, however whether there are laws or not you need to wear your helmet. Unlike those who are driving their cars, there is nothing in between you and the road when you crash. Nothing, but what you are wearing. That’s why you need to always have your protective gear on so that if you do end up in an accident, your injuries will be minimal. 5) Riding In Poor Weather Conditions Even if you are driving in a car or another type of vehicle, you usually want avoid driving in bad weather anywhere. However, this is especially important when it comes to riding out there with your motorcycle. With a motorcycle’s lack of traction on the road, a little rain or a bump in the road can make a much bigger difference than it would normally. Again, motorcycle crashes are much more dangerous than when you have an accident in a car. That’s why if conditions for driving or riding are poor, you really should think twice before heading out there.
