The cautious motorcyclist is the one who survives

Did you know that 80 percent of motorcycle accidents reported to law enforcement involve an injury or death? This horrifying statistic can only be interpreted to mean one thing: You need to do everything humanly possible to avoid a collision while you’re riding your motorcycle, and you need to wear all the appropriate safety equipment.

To help you in your motorcycle safety endeavors, you are encouraged to use your head and stay cautious by employing the following advice:

• Put your safety gear on: Wear your motorcycle pants, motorcycle jacket, gloves, helmet, boots and so forth. These are important and recommended because they can prevent fatal and catastrophic injuries in many cases.
• Increase your visibility: Be as visible as possible by wearing bright colors, using your headlight during daytime hours and avoiding the blind spots of cars and big trucks.
• Get a helmet that protects your face: Chin and facial injuries are some of the most common in fatal and catastrophic motorcycle accidents — that is, if the motorcyclist fails to protect his or her face with a full-face helmet. The protection of the front of your head is just as important as the protection of the back and top of your head.
• Use your noggin: Not only do you want to protect your head with a helmet, but you also want to use your head. Stay alert, stay attentive and use your common sense to stay cautious on the road. Good decisions save lives when you’re riding on a motorcycle.
• Don’t drink and bike, ever: Even if you just drink half a beer, it’s a very bad idea to get on your motorcycle. Avoiding drinking and biking completely could be one of the best decisions you ever make.

Have you ever thought that you could be a little safer on your bike? It’s a great idea to take a motorcycle riding class on a regular basis to brush up your skills and stay as safe as possible. That said, if — despite our best efforts — someone hurts you through negligent driving while you’re riding your motorcycle, you may have the ability to pursue financial restitution and justice in court.