Safe riding tips – here are five quick pointers to make your rides more enjoyable and safe. Do pay special heed to them and you will become better everyday…
From just being a mode of transport, motorcycling is fast becoming a leisure activity. Which means that bikers are doing long distance, multi-city, sometimes multi-country tours. This requires you to be on the road, on two wheels, for a large part of many days, encountering all type of terrains, different kind of areas in the country.
To continue enjoying your motorcycle, you must ride safe at all times. Riding safe is much more than just being ‘cautious’. Here are a few quick pointers which you should remember at all times…
Safe Riding Tips – MOST IMPORTANT
ANTICIPATION
Anticipation while riding is extremely important. Though it sounds simple (Trust me, it is), there are cases when people overlook it. You should always anticipate the next move the vehicle in front of you can make. This calls out for keeping an eye on the vehicle(s) for any signs that they may be offering. Don’t expect full-fledged signals – in India, many riders just look at the right hand side and take a turn!
ALWAYS KEEP A WATCH ON YOUR SPEED
I am not telling you to crawl on the road at 10 or 20 km/hour. But ride at speeds which you can control. This could be different based on everyone’s ability and reaction times and also depends on the motorcycle’s controlling abilities. You should be extra cautious on wet, icy roads and foggy conditions.
POSITIONING
When you are on the road, it’s crucial that you are seen at all stages. It’s your job to position yourself in a way that cars will be able to see you properly. This also means that you should never be in the blind spots of trucks, buses and cars!
OVERTAKING
Believe me, overtaking is what causes the maximum number of accidents on roads. You should make sure that you’re always looking above your shoulder for a clear view of what individuals are doing behind you. You should avoid overtaking near junctions or on bends and should obey road markings.
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BE SEEN
Getting spotted is very much important, at all cases on highways; especially when you’re riding in foggy conditions. Always keep your headlights and tail lamps on, try and wear reflective jackets/t-shirts and ensure you give proper signals while changing lanes or directions.
Quick tip – You should NOT use hazard lights during rains or even in foggy conditions while you are on the move. Hazard lights are meant for a purpose – to show other fellow road users that you have a problem – either your vehicle has broken down, or you have run out of fuel or you are unable to move forward because of some kind of an obstruction on the road, etc.
Remember one thing – the better your riding skills, more will be your chances of avoiding accidents. And you can improve your riding skills by actively following the above mentioned basic tips. ‘Ride to live‘!
