The Importance of Defensive Driving for Motorcycle Riders
Riding a motorcycle is thrilling, but it also comes with serious risks of injury. The smaller size of motorcycles makes them tougher for other drivers to see, increasing the likelihood of a collision. Even more concerning, the lack of protection afforded by motorcycles often increases the severity of injuries during a motorcycle accident.
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to minimize the risk of a motorcycle accident. Defensive driving provides riders with an extremely valuable tool that helps them remain aware of their surroundings and react quickly to potentially dangerous situations. Engaging in defensive driving practices will keep you safer, allowing you to enjoy the exhilaration of a motorcycle ride with the knowledge that you’re doing everything in your power to avoid an accident.
Why Is Defensive Driving Needed for Motorcyclists?
Defensive driving is an important tactic for all drivers to use, but it’s especially important for motorcyclists. According to NHTSA data:
- 97% of motorcycle accident fatalities occur on dry roads where driving conditions are good, with only 3% of fatal crashes occurring when wet, snowy or icy roads make driving more challenging
- 63% of motorcycle accident fatalities occurred during the daytime when visibility was better than at night
- Speeding is responsible for 35% of motorcycle accidents, with other dangerous actions such as lane splitting playing a major role in many accidents
All of this data highlights the importance of defensive driving. With many motorcycle accidents occurring during good driving conditions and being caused by dangerous driving behavior, it’s clear that by engaging in actions that will improve your safety while riding, you can potentially minimize the likelihood of accidents.
What Is Defensive Driving?
Defensive driving refers to a mindset that makes it easier to anticipate and react to potentially dangerous situations on the road. It allows riders to be proactive in avoiding hazards rather than reactive when they occur unexpectedly. This is often critical to your ability to avoid an accident.
It’s important to understand that defensive driving involves more than just obeying traffic laws. It requires you to continuously scan the road and try to predict the actions of other drivers nearby. Some important defensive driving practices include:
- Staying alert to identify hazards
- Maintaining a safe following distance
- Maintaining proper lane positioning
- Using proper braking techniques
Staying Alert to Identify Hazards
Road hazards such as potholes, wet or icy patches, or other vehicles behaving erratically can create an unexpectedly dangerous situation in a matter of moments. Scanning the road and remaining alert at all times will help you to more effectively anticipate these situations so that you can take evasive action before an accident becomes unavoidable.
Maintaining a Safe Following Distance
It takes time to react and avoid a collision when a vehicle in front of you suddenly swerves or stops short. When you drive too close to other vehicles, it reduces your margin for error, increasing the risk of a motorcycle accident. By maintaining a safe following distance, you give yourself the best chance of avoiding a collision when the driver in front of you does something unexpected.
Maintaining Proper Lane Positioning
Motorcycles are smaller and easier to maneuver than cars, and it can be tempting to take liberties with your lane positioning to get through traffic quicker and more efficiently. But when you do this, you increase the amount of time you spend in other drivers’ blind spots. By staying in the proper position in your lane, you’ll be able to avoid these blind spots and stay visible to other drivers more often. You’ll also have more space to maneuver in the event that an unexpected hazard or obstacle arises.
Using Proper Braking Techniques
Proper braking plays a critical role in safe riding. Using front and rear brakes together will help you stop more smoothly. Poor braking technique can lead to abrupt or uneven stops that may cause your motorcycle to skid on wet or uneven surfaces. By using proper braking techniques, you’ll be able to maintain better control of your bike at the moments when you need this control the most.
Benefits of Defensive Driving
Without a doubt, the greatest benefit associated with defensive driving is a reduced risk of motorcycle accidents. The benefits of enjoying riding with greater levels of safety cannot be overstated. The serious injuries that commonly occur during motorcycle accidents can have significant long-term impacts on your life, so anytime you have an ability to reduce the risk of these injuries, the better.
But there are other benefits associated with defensive driving that make incorporating this into your approach to riding a no-brainer:
- Increased Control of Your Bike – Many motorcycle rides in Colorado can be technically demanding, requiring high levels of skill and precise control of your motorcycle. Defensive driving helps you master critical skills that will give you greater control of your motorcycle when you need it most.
- Development of Valuable Long-Term Skills – The skills and habits you cultivate by riding defensively will become ingrained in you, providing benefits that will reduce your risk of a motorcycle accident for years to come.
- Safer Roads – When you ride defensively, you make the roads safer for everyone. This is a win-win.
- Insurance Discount – Colorado offers insurance discounts for completing a defensive driving course. Not only will you be safer on the road, but you’ll also save money.
Pushchak Law Can Help After a Motorcycle Accident
While defensive driving can significantly reduce your risk of a motorcycle accident, there’s no way to eliminate the risk entirely. There may be times when the negligent actions of another driver simply make an accident unavoidable. If you’ve been injured in a motorcycle accident caused by the negligence of another driver, Pushchak Law can help you recover the compensation you deserve.
Brian Pushchak has made motorcycle accidents a primary focus of his practice, and he’s helped hundreds of motorcycle accident victims hold negligent drivers accountable for the injuries they’ve caused. He knows how to accurately assess current and future medical expenses to ensure your compensation reflects the total extent of your damages. This level of specialization gives you the edge you need when seeking to maximize the value of your compensation.
With our unique Informed Decisions™ Approach, you’ll remain in control of the process every step of the way. Mr. Pushchak will talk to you in detail about your goals for the case to ensure he’s aligned with you when recommending the best strategy to achieve your desired outcome. While he will make recommendations to you, you’ll always have final say regarding how your case is handled. This approach ensures you receive the best possible outcome based on your specific goals.
Contact us today to schedule a free consultation. Pushchak Law serves clients in Denver and the surrounding areas.
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