‘Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month’ Means Time for a Refresher!
May is the perfect time to tune up your knowledge before hitting the road!
No matter what your skill level when it comes to riding a bike, you must realize that those skills erode over time. This is especially true if you don’t live somewhere where the weather allows you to ride year round. Too often, we simply hop on our Harleys and take off after a long winter, stoked to get back in the wind. But taking a few minutes to brush up on motorcycle safety tips can help keep that first ride from going south.
That’s exactly why “Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month” happens in May each year. May is typically the time when just about everyone is able to ride again, no matter where you live. And with motorcycle injuries and fatalities climbing every year, it’s never been more important than now. That’s why media sites like KJCT8 are sharing some top tips for riders. The news outlet is located in Colorado, a state that set a new record for motorcycle fatalities last year.
First and foremost is situational awareness. Regardless of whether you’re driving something that has two wheels or four, you must always be aware of what’s going on around you. You simply never know what other drivers can or can’t see, or what they’re going to do. Keeping an eye on the vehicles around you can allow you time to react if an accident looks imminent.
And if an accident is unavoidable, protective clothing can literally save your skin. If your foot or any other limb gets caught under the motorcycle, your skin could come off quite easily. The same goes for helmets, which go a long way in protecting your most important asset – your brain. And speaking of your head, it should be on a swivel.
The Grand Junction Police Department also recommends keeping your high beams on while riding during the day, which increases your visibility. And it never hurts to take a motorcycle safety training course every year. After all, skills must be honed. And safety training is something you can never get enough of.
