3 Tips to Reduce Your Risk of a Motorcycle Accident and Improve Passenger Safety.

Want a ride? Motorcycle safety procedures include not only operators but passengers as well. Hopping onto the back of a motorcycle without the proper attire, practice, and safety discussions can be a recipe for disaster. We have created a list of safety guidelines for operators and their passengers, which we believe, could help prevent many serious motorcycle accidents.

3 Ways of Improving Passenger Safety on Motorcycles

Practice Makes Perfect

• Practice riding with a passenger at low speeds, as well as normal and emergency braking, in low risk areas such as an open parking lot.
• Make sure enough time is allowed for a passenger to adjust to the sense of speed and the sensation of leaning. Start slow and work your way up as progress occurs.
• Use caution in sharp turns (cornering) and develop cornering skills incrementally to ensure passenger comfort and safety.

Things Change

• Because a passenger adds more weight and motion, the handling characteristics of a motorcycle will change.
• With an extra person on the motorcycle, allow for more time and space when passing.
• Riding on a downward slope will cause an increase in time and distance needed to brake in comparison to on a flat surface.
• Take into account the wind, especially side wind, which may be more pronounced with a passenger on the motorcycle.

It Takes Two

• Passengers should be a second active rider in order to help facilitate safety and procedural operations run smoothly.
• Passengers and Operators before riding should have a safety briefing to ensure that protective gear is completely in use.

While we hope these tips prevent you from ever suffering a motorcycle accident, if you do become involved in a motorcycle accident, knowing which law applies and what to look for can be the difference between recovering what you deserve and the other driver getting away without any penalty. Here, at Shiver Hamilton Campbell we have vast experience in motorcycle accident claims and may be able to work for you.