Staying Safe: The Road is a Dangerous Place
First of all, I would like to dispel one misconception. Many people have this idea that motorcycles are dangerous. They are not! My bike is parked in my garage right now. People walk past it all day, and I have never EVER seen it jump out and attack anybody. I’ve never even seen it so much as scowl at a kitten.
Young children have climbed on it (OK fair enough—you do need to watch out for hot exhaust pipes here), sat on it, even flipped some of the switches. None of them suffered as much as a scratch. I’ve seen kids come away far worse after playing on “safe” playground equipment—my daughter once chipped a tooth playing on the monkey bars!
Now to be fair, even though motorcycles by themselves are not dangerous and malevolent bogeymen, motorcycle riders are not protected from the dangers that everybody encounters on the road. Please notice, I said everybody is exposed to these dangers. That includes people in cars, trucks, busses, on skateboards, or walking around on foot.
They key difference is that motorcyclists do not have the benefit of being surrounded by solid steel and air bags like car drivers (often referred to as “cagers” by the biker community) and passengers do. The level of danger is the same for bikers, but we don’t have that safety cushion around us, so the effects of that danger are magnified if something happens.
That means that we owe it to ourselves and to our loved ones, to do everything we can to be safer when we hit the road on two wheels. You cannot control what anybody else does. You can only control what you do. Your safety is your responsibility!
Bottom-Line Basics
To make yourself safer, there are a few things that you MUST do!
Learn to properly ride your motorcycle
Always make sure that your bike is properly maintained and running well
Wear proper safety gear.
They won’t do a lot to protect you from an impact, but your skin will definitely thank you if you slide across the blacktop
ALWAYS RIDE SOBER!!!
Sounds Good, But Where Do I Start?
There are plenty of resources where you can find information about good, quality, motorcycle safety courses.
For a good start, I recommend checking with your state’s motor vehicle licensing authority (DMV, MVA, or whatever your state calls it). Your state may even require training from a specific list of approved schools in order to get your permit or license. That’s why I recommend starting your research with them.
None of this guarantees that every time you pull out of your driveway that you will return home in the same condition. You can’t guarantee that no matter what you climb into or on top of. The road is a dangerous place. Not everybody is always doing the right thing, whether they are on two wheels, four wheels, or even 18 wheels. But, by making sure that you are properly trained and equipped, you go a long way to make yourself safer on the road.
Young children have climbed on it (OK fair enough—you do need to watch out for hot exhaust pipes here), sat on it, even flipped some of the switches. None of them suffered as much as a scratch. I’ve seen kids come away far worse after playing on “safe” playground equipment—my daughter once chipped a tooth playing on the monkey bars!
Now to be fair, even though motorcycles by themselves are not dangerous and malevolent bogeymen, motorcycle riders are not protected from the dangers that everybody encounters on the road. Please notice, I said everybody is exposed to these dangers. That includes people in cars, trucks, busses, on skateboards, or walking around on foot.
They key difference is that motorcyclists do not have the benefit of being surrounded by solid steel and air bags like car drivers (often referred to as “cagers” by the biker community) and passengers do. The level of danger is the same for bikers, but we don’t have that safety cushion around us, so the effects of that danger are magnified if something happens.
That means that we owe it to ourselves and to our loved ones, to do everything we can to be safer when we hit the road on two wheels. You cannot control what anybody else does. You can only control what you do. Your safety is your responsibility!
Bottom-Line Basics
To make yourself safer, there are a few things that you MUST do!
Learn to properly ride your motorcycle
- Take an approved and sanctioned motorcycle safety course
- Get your motorcycle license
- Come back periodically and take a refresher or advanced rider course
Always make sure that your bike is properly maintained and running well
- Check your lights and tires
- If you have a chain drive, make sure it is adjusted
- Make sure that all cables and lines are not worn or frayed
- Check that all fluid levels are where they need to be
Wear proper safety gear.
- Wear a DOT approved helmet--even if your state doesn’t require it.
- Always wear approved eye protection
- Wear brightly colored or reflective material- being seen is IMPORTANT
- Always wear gloves, boots, riding pants and a riding jacket
They won’t do a lot to protect you from an impact, but your skin will definitely thank you if you slide across the blacktop
ALWAYS RIDE SOBER!!!
- This is just common sense. I don’t think I need to clarify anything here.
Sounds Good, But Where Do I Start?
There are plenty of resources where you can find information about good, quality, motorcycle safety courses.
For a good start, I recommend checking with your state’s motor vehicle licensing authority (DMV, MVA, or whatever your state calls it). Your state may even require training from a specific list of approved schools in order to get your permit or license. That’s why I recommend starting your research with them.
None of this guarantees that every time you pull out of your driveway that you will return home in the same condition. You can’t guarantee that no matter what you climb into or on top of. The road is a dangerous place. Not everybody is always doing the right thing, whether they are on two wheels, four wheels, or even 18 wheels. But, by making sure that you are properly trained and equipped, you go a long way to make yourself safer on the road.
Images on this page were provided by and used with the permission of MOTORCYCLE RIDING CONCEPTS
Check them out at www.saddleupva.com
Check them out at www.saddleupva.com