If you’ve ever been in a motorbike collision and it wasn’t your fault, there’s a chance that those famous words were muttered, “Sorry mate, I didn’t see you”. That’s all well and good but it doesn’t make the situation better, especially if you’ve suffered injuries from the motorcycle accident or seen your pride and joy damaged.
Whenever we ride, it’s always better to be proactive in our safety and that means being conspicuous on the road. If we can be better seen on our bikes, then it can reduce the chance of those SMIDSY moments and accidents. Whilst these tips won’t eradicate accidents from happening, they can play their part in helping you be seen and help your journey be a safer one.
Wear An Eye-Catching Helmet
After the motorbike, a motorcycle helmet is something we all take pride in purchasing. Whether you’re looking for a race replica like your favourite track or road racer, or a particular style that happens to catch your eye, a lot of thought goes into selecting your perfect lid. Whilst the fit and safety rating tends to prove most important in the purchase of a helmet, the colour is also something to consider if you want to stay conspicuous on the road. A white lid, or brightly-coloured helmet, is more likely to be seen by other drivers and pedestrians compared to a plain black helmet, especially in poor weather conditions. So the next time you’re in the market for a new helmet, you may want to consider going bright or bold, rather than dark colours which may be hard to notice.
Ride Wearing A Hi-Vis Vest
Okay, high visibility vests may not be the coolest thing to wear but last time I checked motorcycle riding wasn’t a fashion show. Hi-vis yellow vests can help you to be seen on the road, thanks to the bright-colouring and reflective strips. There’s even a range of Polite Notice hi-vis vests that feature a slogan on the back and checked design on the shoulders that resembles that of the uniform of the police which often causes road users to give a second glance. Wearing a hi-vis vest will not only make you be seen easier at night, but it will also help you to stand out on the crowded roads during the daylight hours.
If a slip-on waistcoast vest isn’t your thing, many motorcycle brands produce a range of tasteful fluorescent textile jackets.
Clean Lights and Reflectors
Something so simple can have such a positive effect. Keeping your ride clean is probably one of your priorities with your pride and joy but if it’s not, make sure to clear your lights and reflectors on the bike properly to ensure they work as designed.
Switch On Your Headlight
Most bikes these days have a headlamp that you can either have full beam or dipped and there’s no option to turn if off – it’s always on. However, some older bikes and non-major branded machines have the option to turn off the headlight altogether. It’s beneficial to always keep a headlamp on so that you can be seen on the road, especially in poor visibility and always in low light.
Make Sure Your Horn Works
Now, we’re not saying go out and buy a Stebel Nautilus horn that sounds like a freight train coming down the road, but in the event that you don’t think you’ve been seen and you need to alert the other road users to avoid a potential incident, use your horn. It’s always a top tip to check your horn is working before every journey, along with your front and back brakes, indicators and headlamp, to ensure your horn is available to use if needed.
Loud Pipes Save Lives
Whenever you hear a louder than average exhaust, you turn your head – at least I do. I even recognise the sound of one local biker’s exhaust round town. Whilst some residents might not be keen on them, especially if you roll in on your machine in the early hours of the morning, a bike sporting aftermarket cans or loud stock pipes will generally be noticed more than those riding the hairdryer hum or whisper of stock exhausts. Sound comes into play as well as sight when navigating the road, even for pedestrians crossing the street, so riding a motorcycle with loud but road legal exhausts can provide that extra factor in letting others know you’re present.
Do you have any other tips to make yourself more visible on the road when riding your motorcycle? Leave a comment below!
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