4 Important Tips to Know if You Ride a Motorcycle

Following these simple, yet important tips while riding your motorcycle could help you avoid a motorcycle accident.

• Speeding: Reduce your speed and don’t be in a rush to get to your destination. More than one-third of the total motorcyclists killed in accidents in 2013 were driving over the speed limit, compared with only 21% of passenger vehicle drivers.

• Impaired Driving: The legal limit blood alcohol concentration is .08 percent in Missouri, but you should never drink and drive. Almost 30% of motorcycle fatalities involved drivers that were over the limit. Not only does impairment cloud your judgement regarding the laws, you are more likely to take your attention away from the task of driving. Avoid riding your motorcycle if you are under the influence of any mind altering substance, prescription medication, or feel that you are impaired in any way.

• Licensing Issues: 1 out of every 4 people involved in an accident in 2013 did not have a valid license to legally operate their motorcycle. While most of us know the rules of the road when driving a car, there is a real and tangible safety benefit in the courses offered for motorcycle licensing. A valid motorcycle license may be obtained after a driver passes a written and road test. In most states the only way to become exempt from the road test is to pass a safety education course to obtain a license.

• No Helmet: One portion of the motorcycle safety course covers the various options in safety equipment that are recommended for riding. Simple things like choosing the right helmet can be extremely important, especially when it comes to avoiding fatalities on impact. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that over 1,600 riders in 2013 avoided death with the help of a helmet. Unfortunately 715 others might have been saved had they taken the same precaution to wear a helmet.