It is no secret that motorcycles are statistically more dangerous compared to cars. However, the main danger is not necessarily a lack of seat belts or enclosure on a motorcycle, but rather that other drivers may not see the motorcyclist.
Ensuring that other drivers can see you can save your life on the back of a motorcycle. According to Ride Apart, wearing high-visibility safety gear, staying out of a car’s blind spot and tapping your brakes can improve your visibility.
What is high-visibility safety gear?
The traditional color associated with motorcyclists is black. While black is a very stylish color, it also does not do much to help drivers notice you on the road.
In response, many motorcycle gear-producing companies have started offering high-visibility lines of gear. This gear is in bright colors such as electric yellow, hot pink or neon green.
What else can I do to stay visible?
Since a motorcycle has a much lower profile as compared to a traditional car, you must stay out of the blind spots of drivers. Of course, it is not possible to stay out of a blind spot 100% of the time, but make sure that you pass cars quickly and pay attention to your lane positioning.
Brake-tapping can also be very helpful. Even if a driver does not notice your comparatively slim profile as a motorcyclist, it is likely that a flash of light will get their attention. If you are approaching a traffic jam or another unexpected stoppage, tapping your brakes to alert the driver behind you can help make the driver more aware of your presence.
Everyone must do their part
While it’s good to do your part as a motorcyclist on the road, motor vehicle drivers have a responsibility to look for motorcycles. This means they need to monitor their blind spots, their lane positioning and following distances. Together, motorists of all kinds can help make the roads safer.