Riding a motorcycle is much more dangerous compared to being in a traditional passenger vehicle. However, modern motorcycles do offer a lot concerning safety. The unobstructed View and extremely grippy braking power that motorcycles offer you can help you avoid the worst of motorcycle accidents.
Of course, you will not be able to prevent everything: the majority of collisions between motorcyclists and non-motorcyclists are the fault of the non-motorcyclist most of the time. However, you can keep yourself safe as a motorcyclist by doing what you can to ensure other drivers can see you, taking precautions at intersections and going to motorcycle safety courses.
Stay seen
The most common “defense” from non-motorcyclists after a collision is that they did not see the motorcyclist at the time of the collision. The iconic color associated with rebels without a cause may be black, but wearing neon yellow is actually the smart choice if your goal is to avoid accidents with other motorists.
You should also always have your headlight on, whether it is day or night. Riding “to the side” of a lane rather than straight in the middle may also make you more visible to drivers as you will show up in their side view mirrors.
Precautions and courses
Roughly half of all accidents occur at intersections. Particularly for motorcyclists, cars that are looking to turn left can be extremely dangerous.
Motorcycle safety courses go a long way toward keeping you safe. There are classes both online and in-person, and the Motorcycle Safety Foundation makes courses for veterans drivers as well as rookies. You may also be able to get an insurance discount for attending motorcycle safety courses.