Riding a Motorcycle During Rush Hour
One of the major thrills of owning a motorcycle is the freedom that comes from having the wind rush along besides your body while zipping across the open countryside. And yes, there is also the fact that you are not as constrained in terms of where you can go as is the case with every other vehicle. That is particularly the case when it comes to rush hour traffic.
A different experience: The Thrill of the Ride
Riding your motorcycle during rush hour is, we have to say, an entirely different experience than on the open roads. The experience comes with both thrills and perils. There is knowing that you are able to go where other motorists cannot go. You imagine yourself being the envy of your fellow road user; the less adventurous folks who are stuck in their cars and can hardly move.
The envy that your ability to navigate through the seemingly impossible gaps in traffic generates is real enough. You only need to watch YouTube motorcycling bikes to understand what we are talking about. Hundreds of videos exist on the site of angry motorists who, unable to fathom the thought of some motorcyclist going past them while they are stuck in traffic, have blown a fuse or two.
The results are often hilarious, particularly today when there are seemingly cameras everywhere. Fun is, however, not all that there is to these encounters.
Riding a Motorcycle During Rush Hour: The Peril
Motorcycles are, without a doubt, one of the deadliest forms of transformation that can be found out there. Just consider the fact that where 13.10 cars out of 100 000 end up in fatal crashes, the figure, for motorcycles, rises to 72.34 per 100 000.
A large number of the accidents that occur with motorcycles occur as a result of the clashes with other motorists that occur during rush-hour. Although it is thrilling to be able to go where others cannot go, the dangers that are inherent therein are one of the reasons why most people are rather reticent about taking up motorcycling. However, this does not need to be the case.
Motorcycle Rush Hour Riding Tips
Following the tips that are given below will guarantee that you will have a safe motorcycling experience, even during rush hour. You can also watch the YouTube video above to see how its done;
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Recognize your own vulnerabilities
Although there is always the thrill, as we have already noted, there is also always the fact that, as a motorcyclist, you are much more vulnerable than every other driver on the road. This is one of the thing that you need to be cognizant of while riding your motorcycle during rush hour. We all want to be like those daredevil riders that we watch on YouTube, right?
The unfortunate thing is that we can’t all be like that. What you need to do, in any case, is have commonsense while riding your motorcycle in heavy traffic. This is particularly applicable if you are a new motorcyclist. So many of your sense have to be in play at once while you are in the midst of heavy traffic that you may be overwhelmed into making a silly but fatal mistake. The right approach involves taking it slow and going only where you can confidently go.
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Watch out for Mirrors
Many a motorcyclist have collided with mirrors while trying to squeeze through tight gaps in heavy traffic. While this tends to be a minor incident when the vehicle in question is stationary, colliding with vehicles that are in motion can become serious by putting you off balance.
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Watch over your Shoulders
Staying upright on a motorcycle takes much more effort than is needed when driving other types of vehicles. One of the major challenges comes from having to quickly glance over one’s shoulders.
What you need to understand here is that although you mirrors are enough to give you an overview of what is happening behind you, that is really never the complete picture.
The same, it has to be said, applies with any other vehicle. This makes it necessary for you to quickly glance over you should before making your move; which can be difficult, since both actions need to be almost simultaneous.
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Watch Out for Off-ramps
You also need to, while riding your motorcycle on a busy road, watch out for off-ramps. These represent a major cause of the motorcycling deaths that occur every year. A number of drivers simply decide to take off-ramps at the last moment, leaving you vulnerable if you are in the wrong place.
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Always have fingers on the brakes
A universal rule for riding a motorcycle during rush hour is to always be ready to use your brakes. This applies even more than it would under normal riding conditions. Often, you are confronted by situations where you need to make sudden stops. You should, therefore, be ready to do so at the slightest sign of trouble.
Remember that not all of the drivers who are out there are gracious about having motor cyclists pass by while they are stuck in the midst of traffic. That is a reason for you to always exercise caution when riding your motorcycle during rush hour.
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The Dangers of Lane Splitting
Lane Splitting is one of the things that we constantly see in the motorcycling vehicles that are posted to YouTube. This, in effect, involves the sharing of a single lane with another vehicle. Although it may appear to you as if there is plenty of room for you to ride along, doing this can be particularly dangerous where there is heavy traffic.
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Have your lights on
One of the dangers of riding a motorcycle is the fact that you are usually not that visible to other motorists. That is why it is important for you to make sure that you turn your headlights on whenever you are riding your motorcycle during rush hour. You can also increase your visibility to other drivers by wearing reflective clothing.
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Wear your Helmet
Our final tip when it comes to motorcycle safety is a bit of commonsense; you should always wear your helmet. Motorcycle helmets are designed to reduce the impact on your head should you be unfortunate enough to be involved in an accident.
The YouTube videos that we have mentioned in this blog post show that motorcycle riding can be fun, even during rush hour. The essential thing is for you to take the precautions that are mentioned here in order to keep yourself safe.
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