Motorcyclists must know how to ride defensively. They have to anticipate the mistakes that other drivers will make. This is one of the key ways that motorcyclists can stay safe on the road.
The biggest reason that defensive riding is important is that motorcyclists face much greater injury risks. For instance, some reports show that it is 22 times as likely that a motorcyclist will pass away from their injuries in an accident. Riding a bike is inherently dangerous. Even if the rider doesn’t make a mistake, another driver could cause a deadly accident. Defensive riding is one of the best ways to reduce these odds.
Drivers don’t see motorcycles
Defensive riding is also important for motorcyclists because they may essentially be invisible on the road. They see the cars and trucks around them, of course, but those drivers do not see the motorcycle.
This could be because the other vehicle is so large and has extensive blind spots. A small motorcycle could fit right into the blind spot on a pickup truck or an SUV, and that driver could hit the motorcyclist without even seeing them. These accidents happen when drivers change lanes on the interstate, for instance. It is also common when the motorcyclist is using split lanes to travel.
Similarly, drivers often suffer from intentional blindness. This happens when they look directly at a motorcycle, but they don’t expect to see it, so their brain simply filters it out. This can lead to a lot of left-turn accidents and similar issues.
Seeking compensation
Even when motorcycle riders do all they can to stay safe and ride defensively, they could be injured by other negligent or careless drivers. Those who suffer injuries need to know how to seek financial compensation for medical bills, lost wages and more.