Spring Safety for Motorcyclists

,You know it’s spring when you see the robin, smell the first flowers and hear the first revving of motorcycle engines everywhere.

Unfortunately, spring also brings a rise in motorcycle accidents. Riders who haven’t been on a bike since the fall are eager to get out — but they make take it a little too fast on the road and end up injured.

In addition, there’s another serious danger in spring for bikers: cars. Motorists start to remember that motorcycles exist by summer and remember to watch for them (hopefully), but every spring, it seems like there are drivers who have forgotten how to share the road.

To stay safe this spring, remember the following:

1. Drive defensively

You may be in the right on the road, but that doesn’t matter much when you’re injured because of a car. Stay sharp and watch for drivers who aren’t watching out for you.

2. Wear protective gear

This means that you need a good helmet that’s fitted to your head and a face shield. You also need thick clothing that covers your arms, legs and hands.

3. Keep your lights on

If you have your lights on, you’ll be more visible to drivers in cars and visibility is key to avoiding an accident. In addition, remember that you need to add reflective gear onto your clothing so that your upper body is more visible if it’s dark or dim outside.

4. Use your horn

If a driver clearly doesn’t see you and is about to move into your lane or cut left in front of you, use your horn. A lot of bikers seem to forget that it’s even there, but it can effectively wake a zoned-out driver up.

5. Use signals

Give drivers in cars plenty of notice about stops and turns. Flash your brakes when you’re about to stop and signal your turns well in advance.

It isn’t possible to avoid every motorcycle accident, but you need to be particularly careful in spring not to let the excitement of getting back on the bike take a back seat to safety.