5 Tips for Sharing the Road with Motorcycles

by Susan Evans

We asked motorcyclists to share their five tips for drivers on sharing the road with motorcycles. Let’s all do our part to share the road and get along.

Tip 1: Allow them the right to the road.

  • “We have the same rights to space on the road as drivers,” says Ron Arieli, president and owner of T.E.A.M. Arizona Motorcyclist Training Centers.
  • “I’ve been buzzed by so many times, even have had things thrown at me. I’m a person out doing my thing. See me as a person, not an obstruction or distraction,” says Adam Martin, former certified RiderCoach by the California Motorcycle Safety Program.

Tip 2: Look out for motorcycles and scooters.

  • “The chances of killing someone on a motorcycle with your car, is almost a thousand times greater than hitting someone in another car, says Jack Skates, founder of North Bay Sport Riders in California.
  • “Pay attention and look out for motorcyclists and scooters more and to your cell phones less,” says Arieli.

Tip 3: Watch out when turning.

  • “80 to 90 percent of collisions happen when a car makes a left turn in front of a motorcycle that’s going straight and the driver of the car simply just didn’t see the motorcycle,” says Thom D’Angelo of Motosport Brokerage. When making a turn, use your turn signal and check your mirrors and blind spots.

Tip 4: Give the motorcyclist room to move.

  • Although it may seem as though there is enough room in a traffic lane for an automobile and a motorcycle, the motorcycle needs the full room to maneuver safely, according to NHTSA.
  • Allow appropriate following distance and don’t tailgate. In dry conditions, motorcycles can stop more quickly than cars.

Tip 5: Don’t assume motorcyclists are “crazy biker outlaws.”

  • “We are not all criminals. The big bad biker image is now a minority among riders,” says Denise Maple, founder and co-owner of VaVaVroom, a company that designs motorcycle wear for women riders. “Many of us are fine, upstanding citizens, holding down a job, serving the community, and very concerned for our safety as well as yours on the road.”

Remember…

The information provided here is not meant to be a substitute for professional advice. These tips are from experts and people who have shared their real-life advice; always check with appropriate professionals you trust in making your purchasing or life-related decisions.

Photo Credit: Anders Jacobsen

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