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Avoiding a Springtime Motorcycle Crash

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Avoiding a Springtime Motorcycle Crash

Avoiding a Springtime Motorcycle Crash

By Jan Hoen

As the weather in Virginia begins to warm, it brings with it a terrible trend: an increase in the number of motorcycle accidents. Indeed, as more motorcyclists dust of their bikes and hit the road, the rate of crash–due to more motorcycle traffic and driver unfamiliarity with operating vehicles around motorcyclists after a long, motorcycle-free winter–tends to spike.

If you’re a motorcyclist in Virginia, staying aware of the increased risk of crash as the weather warms, and what you can do to mitigate an accident and the most severe of injuries, is important. Here are some tips for staying safe:

Be Visible

A common cause of motorcycle accidents is the driver of a motor vehicle’s inability to see the motorcyclist, leading to things like lane changes that take out a rider, intersection accidents, and more. In order to avoid these accident types, increasing your visibility as a motorcyclist is important. Things that you can do to increase visibility include making eye contact with drivers whenever possible, staying out of driver’s blind spots, and wearing a reflective vest or other bright color.

Ride Defensively

When you ride defensively, you assume that other drivers aren’t paying attention and exercise additional caution when navigating around them as such. For example, you assume that the other driver doesn’t see you, and therefore you make sure that you’re seen before you perform your next maneuver. Riding defensively requires paying attention and limiting distractions, always riding sober, slowing your speed, and tuning in to what’s going on around you.

Wear the Proper Safety Gear

As you’re riding in Virginia, make sure you’re wearing the proper safety gear. While the right gear won’t prevent a crash, it can help to prevent you from sustaining serious injuries if you are hit by a motor vehicle. The most important piece of safety equipment that you should use anytime you’re riding, even if it’s a short ride, is a helmet. A helmet significantly reduces the risk of traumatic brain injury and death, and also helps to protect your face, if you are in a crash. Proper eye protection, long sleeves and pants, and riding boots are all important, too.

Contact Hampton Injury Law PLC If You’re in a Crash

Attorney Jan Hoen of Hampton Injury Law PLC will be by your side and prepared to advocate for you if you are involved in a motorcycle accident this spring. Don’t hesitate to call Hampton Injury Law PLC for a free consultation regarding your rights and options if you’re hit, how to file a claim, and the damages you may be able to recover. You can reach the law office today by phone, or by sending a confidential message using the intake form found online.

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