May’s Motorcycle Awareness Month – Safe Driving Tips
Last Updated: March 4th, 2024
Safe Driving Tips For May’s Motorcycle Awareness Month
What You’ll Learn
As you read about Motorcycle Awareness Month and some safe driving trips, you’ll learn:
- This month is important because it REMINDS US of what we can do to make the roads safer for everyone.
- There are many strategies and tactics motorcycle riders can use to reduce risk on the roadways.
- There are also things drivers can do to help protect motorcycle riders on the road.
What Is Motorcycle Awareness Month?
May is Motorcycle Awareness Month, but there’s never a bad time to learn how to keep yourself and other motorcycle riders safe on the road. Even though these safe road operation tips are important all year long, it’s nice to have one month out of every year where we make a special effort to refresh our memories. This serves as a reminder for both motorcycle riders and motorists to think about the things we can do to keep everyone safe on the road.
The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) launched this effort in the early 1980s as a way to reduce some risks and prevent accidents. Since then, it’s been adopted by many motorcycle rights organizations, clubs, and even some government entities. The President and CEO of the AMA said this month is “our opportunity to call attention to the safety issues affecting motorcycle road riding, which in turn encourages motorists to stay alert for motorcyclists throughout the rest of the year.”
Why Is Motorcycle Awareness Month So Important?
It’s fairly common knowledge that there are certain dangers that come with riding a motorcycle. Depending upon the source, the data shows motorcycle riders are 27 to 32 times more vulnerable than car drivers. Still, some people think that a higher risk level is acceptable and unavoidable when it comes to riding; we disagree. It’s important for everyone to learn about the things they can do to be more aware of others, especially when it comes down to something like this where people’s lives and wellbeing are at stake. There’s no changing the fact that there are certain inherent risks that motorcycle riders have to live with, but there’s also a level of responsibility for everyone on the road to think about safe driving practices.
Motorcycle safety is everyone’s responsibility. First and foremost, the riders themselves must be aware of the things they can do to keep themselves out of harm’s way. It also falls upon other drivers to stay alert and aware while practicing safe driving habits. Motorcycle safety falls on everyone: motorcycle riders, car and truck drivers, and even pedestrians. When everyone does their part, the roads are safer for everyone. This effort should be consistent throughout the year, but now is the perfect time to learn more about what you can do.
Top Safe Riding Tips for Motorcycle Riders
Rider safety is a shared responsibility. Yes, are obviously responsible for making safe choices that keep them out of dangerous situations. They are also accountable for being respectful of all motorists on the roadways. So what strategies and tactics can riders employ? TEAM Arizona’s YouTube channel has a Riding Tips Playlist to help you ride better: Click Here for Riding Tips Playlist
This blog is also chock full of Riding Tip articles found HERE.
Crucially, one of the best things we can do is to have proper protective gear and that includes wearing a DOT approved helmet at a minimum.
Wear Your Helmet and Avoid Riding in Poor Conditions
One of the best things about living in Arizona is that you don’t have to deal with a tremendous amount of rain compared to many other parts of the country. Still, it may be best to leave your motorcycle in the garage on those rare rainy days. Visibility is reduced these days, as is traction. Riding at night is safe if you know how to do it properly, but you may also want to avoid that until you’re comfortable riding in the dark. No matter when you ride, make sure you’re wearing a helmet (and preferably other protective gear as well).
The burden of being safe on the road does not solely fall on the shoulders of the motorcyclist. Motorists need to stay aware of motorcycle riders on the road and respect their space and that starts with paying attention.
HOW DRIVERS CAN REDUCE MOTORCYCLE RIDER CRASHES
Pay Attention While Driving
Many multi-party collisions that involve motorcycles happen because a driver gets distracted or doesn’t respect a motorcyclist’s right of way. Since motorcycles aren’t as large as most other vehicles on the road, they can be a bit harder to see. Drivers may be distracted by conversations within their vehicles, their phones, or something else, which makes it a lot harder to keep up with everything that’s happening around the vehicle. Whether you’re on a motorcycle or in a car, keep your eyes on the road and actively searching for any potential hazards and threats.
Anticipate the Flow of Traffic
This is another one of those things that applies to motorcycle riders and other drivers alike. Keep your eyes far forward on the road and identify potential threats as quickly as possible. If you can anticipate what is about to happen, you’re less likely to put yourself into a dangerous situation where you have to make a snap decision. We want to avoid these rushed decisions on the road so we can make sure we’re processing everything fully and making good choices. We always say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
If you’re not familiar with motorcycles and the way they typically move, just give them plenty of space. We understand that drivers of cars, trucks, and SUVs may not be as comfortable predicting what a motorcycle will do compared to other vehicles. The solution to this is to simply leave them more space than you normally would another vehicle. This applies to pretty much every situation; following distance on the highway, space at intersections, and everywhere else you encounter two-wheeled traffic.
Pay Special Attention at Intersections
Situational awareness is key because a lot of crashes happen at intersections. Distraction is an ever-increasing reason for these crashes. The rules of intersections are designed to keep people safe, so pay attention to traffic signals including signs and lights. Also, keep your head on a swivel and be as aware of your surroundings as possible. Make sure you know who has the right of way, and check for oncoming traffic before you make any moves through the intersection. If you’re making a turn at the intersection, make sure your path doesn’t intersect with the path of any other vehicle.
Be Mindful of Blind Spots
While motorcycles don’t have very big blind spots to speak of because there are no walls around the driver, the same can’t be said of many other vehicles. When you’re on a motorcycle, do your best to be conscious of where other drivers might have blind spots, then stay out of them. This is especially relevant when you’re driving around trucks, SUVs, or other large vehicles.
If you’re in any other type of vehicle, be mindful as motorcycles go in and out of your blind spots. This is much easier if you’re paying attention and avoiding distractions at all times. It also helps if you give motorcycles at least as much space as you would give any other type of vehicle. Because motorcycles are smaller, motorists may tend to underestimate how closely they are following a bike. Consider re-evaluating your following distances of motorcycles.
Where to Learn New Motorcycle Rider Safety Tips
Riders, if you’re not confident on your motorcycle yet, the open road is not the right place to sharpen your skills. Instead, work with an experienced motorcycle rider coach from TEAM Arizona. We’ve helped motorcyclists from all over the state become more comfortable and safe on their motorcycles. Contact us today to get signed up for a class!
Featured Image: KPDMedia/Shutterstock
