How Do I Avoid Being Rear-Ended While Riding My Motorcycle?

If you think about rear-end car crashes, the likelihood of your car sustaining significant damage or you suffering debilitating injuries increases the faster the speed at which you were struck.

With few safety features to protect the motorcyclist or the bike, if a motorcycle is struck from the rear, then it’s likely that it will be totaled and that you’ll suffer serious serious injures. That’s why it’s important for motorcyclists to take extra precautions to avoid being struck from behind.

Perhaps one of the most simple, yet critically important tips, to remember when you’re riding your motorcycle is to always leave as much as a car length of space in front of you. Whether you’re stopped at a traffic light or moving down the roadway, keeping a distance between you and others will give you the flexibility to maneuver in and out of traffic to avoid any potential collisions.

As for moving in-and-out of traffic, it’s important for you to scan the roadway and mirrors whenever it’s safe to do so in order to identify potential escape routes and distracted motorists. Doing both of these may prove to be particularly effective if you notice a motorist driving at an accelerated rate of speed behind you.

Keeping your bike in first gear at all times while in traffic is also important as it gives you the best chance of getting away from a potential problem situation. Steadying the bike by placing one foot on the ground and the other on the brake will keep your bike from unexpectedly accelerating or falling over, other factors that can cause crashes.

Often, when motorists are questioned about why they crashed into motorcyclists, they often say that they didn’t see them or that they noticed them tapping their brakes far too late to be able to respond.

It’s for these reasons that many motorcycle safety experts recommend that bikers employ a bopping and weaving technique when traffic begins to slow down. Moving about in your lane and tapping your brakes at various intervals will help warn motorists of slowing traffic and give you a better chance of getting noticed.

If you’ve suffered serious injuries after having been struck while out riding your motorbike, a Los Angeles motorcycle accident attorney can advise you of your right to sue for medical costs and other damages.

Source: Motorcycle Writer, “How to avoid motorcycle rear-enders,” Mike Hinchcliffe, accessed Jan. 19, 2018