New York Motorcycle Accident Injury Prevention Tips
New York State’s No Fault law and insurance will not protect you in a motorcycle accident. If you were not wearing a helmet, riding in bad weather, sharing the road with another vehicle, or wearing unprotected eyeglasses, you are likely to qualify for compensation. If you are the passenger in the other vehicle, however, your attorney can add the other driver’s medical bills to your claim. Although you may be entitled to compensation, you must prove that you were at fault.
Avoid wearing a helmet
While wearing a motorcycle helmet will not completely prevent injuries from a motorcycle accident, it does improve your odds of preventing serious head trauma. If you’re riding in the rain, you should definitely wear a helmet. Otherwise, your hair will get wet and your vision will be blurred. You might also lose consciousness and be distracted by wet hair. A helmet is one of the most important safety precautions for motorcycle riders.
Avoid riding in bad weather
If you’re planning a motorcycle ride in rainy weather, you may want to stay home and check your brakes and engine before heading out. Oil and other fluids on the road can reflect rainbow colors and make braking difficult. The most dangerous time to ride in rain is the first hour after a storm, because visibility is poor and you’ll have less time to react and avoid an accident. Even the best motorcycle rides can be dangerous if the weather is bad enough.
Avoid sharing lanes with other drivers
In New York City during rush hour, motorcyclists often try to pass other cars in their lanes by lane splitting. This common maneuver is also known as “stripe-riding,” “white-lining,” or “filtering.” However, this practice is dangerous, especially in congested areas, where other cars may suddenly stop and hit a motorcyclist. The following are some common mistakes that motorcyclists should avoid when sharing lanes with other drivers.
Avoid wearing unprotected eyes
It is imperative to wear eye protection while riding your motorcycle. Even a minor irritation can throw you off-balance and cause you to lose control of your bike. Wearing eye protection while traveling will help you avoid eye injuries and be less of a safety hazard for other drivers. Make sure to buy a comprehensive bike insurance plan that will cover unforeseen circumstances and damage to your bike. It is not a waste of money to buy bike insurance that will protect your motorcycle.
Avoid speeding
If you are a motorcyclist, you probably want to avoid speeding. You can easily get into an accident while speeding. In fact, speeding is one of the top causes of motorcycle accidents. Motorcyclists have also made lane-splitting fashionable, so avoid it at all costs. You’ll also be more likely to hit other vehicles if you can’t stop quickly enough. The result? A deadly collision.