Motorcycle Safety Tips
Two-wheeled motor vehicles are popular because they cost less than passenger vehicles, provide better gas mileage, and they’re easy to manipulate in traffic. The downside to riding a motorcycle is that they are involved in more traffic accidents than passenger vehicles, so parents need to do everything they can to keep their kids safe. If your child wants to purchase a motorcycle, use these tips to limit the chance of them being involved in a fatal accident.
Learn to Ride from a Professional
There isn’t a strict requirement for new riders to take a professional training class to learn how to drive. Those who know how to operate a motorcycle can skip the course as long as they can pass the tests at the DMV. Studies show that about half of all motorcyclists haven’t taken a class.
Parents can best prepare prospective riders by requiring as much professional training as possible. Motorcyclists need to learn specific driving techniques to stay safe. Mastering techniques like avoiding overbraking, angling curves and turns to stay in your lane, and riding in a lane with a shoulder for extra space can save lives in an accident.
Incorporate On-Street Motorcycle Experience into Education
You have to pass a street driving test to get a car license, but most states don’t include on-street training during motorcycle education. The curriculum used by 47 states is MSF’s Motorcycle RiderCourse: Riding and Street Skills® but there is no on-street component.
If your child wants to purchase or ride a motorcycle, require them to take private classes that teach on-street skills. Advanced classes include training with sidecars and trailers as well as track and highway driving.
Require Full-Face Helmets
Helmet laws in the US are not as strict as seatbelt laws. Only 19% of states require all riders to wear helmets, and the leading cause of death for motorcyclists is a head injury. And the number of deaths is rising. There were 4,976 motorcycle deaths in 2016 — double the number of deaths in 1997.
Head injuries are among the most expensive and life-altering injuries that people experience. The medical costs of an accident can send your family into bankruptcy. Not only do full-face helmets limit head injuries, but the visor also keeps bugs and other debris off the rider’s face, so they’re not distracted from driving. In 2016, motorcyclists suffered fatalities 28 times more often than passenger cars in traffic crashes, mostly due to head injuries. If your child is involved in a motorcycle accident, contact the expert legal team at https://www.dsslaw.com/teaneck-personal-injury-attorneys/.
Conclusion
Motorcycles and scooters are a good alternative to the cost of purchasing a passenger car. That’s just one reason they’re appealing to new drivers. Unfortunately, the small profile of a motorcycle compared to a passenger vehicle is a disadvantage when it’s involved in an accident since the riders aren’t as well protected as riders in a passenger car. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), motorcycle deaths accounted for 13 percent of all motor vehicle crash deaths in 2016.
If your child is interested in purchasing and riding a motorcycle, provide the best training program you can afford and require them to wear a full-face helmet at all times. These factors can help decrease the chance of a fatal injury in a car wreck.
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