Although you may love the open road, there may also be safety concerns if you are around trucks or cars while using your motorcycle. Paying attention to how other people drive and the factors that influence accidents can help you as you continue your journey.
Proper handling and steering
According to the United States Department of Transportation, even a minor obstacle can leave you scrambling to stay upright when you are on a smaller vehicle with only two wheels. Unlike trucks or cars, motorcycles are easily influenced by gusts of wind or air drafts from a larger vehicle pulling up next to them.
When the roads are slick from rain, steering can also become far more difficult. This means that you are at risk for an accident if another vehicle turns in front of you without warning or moves into your lane. It takes longer for a motorcycle to come to a complete stop, which means your reaction time is shorter than usual.
Awareness of other people
When drivers park alongside the road, they may mistakenly open their doors into your lane and knock you off your motorcycle. This is not the only instance where people in cars or trucks can cause you to lose control or sideswipe you and cause you to fall off.
Since truck drivers sit up higher in their vehicles, they need to continually check their mirrors to make sure they do not turn in front of someone else. Motorcycles take up less room on the road and are harder to spot, which potentially puts them in harm’s way in some circumstances.
