Nighttime Safety for Tennessee Motorcycle Riders

Riding a motorcycle requires skill and concentration at any time of day or night, but there are additional challenges what riders face while on the road after dark. As is the case with riding during the day, at night it may be difficult for drivers of other vehicles to see you. Signs and pavement markings are harder to see at night, especially in areas which are poorly lit. Wildlife and pedestrians are also harder to see at night. When you do spot them, you may have very little time and distance within which to react to their presence. If it is raining or foggy, not only are you less visible to others, it is more difficult for you to see the road.

Driving at night is not only more challenging, it is more dangerous. In the United States, sixty percent of fatal motorcycle accidents happen at night. Since many people who ride motorcycles do ride at night at least some of the time, it is important that riders know how to keep themselves safe after the sun sets.

You can make your nighttime rides safer by making a few adjustments to the way that you ride. It is a good idea to ride slower than you would during the day, so that you will have more time to react to anything that you might see in the road, or the actions of other drivers nearby. It is also important to leave more space between yourself and other vehicles than you would during the day, in order to give yourself more time to react to their movements. Riding at night is harder on your eyes than it is during the day. If you feel like your eyes are getting tired, pull into a parking lot or other safe location to take a rest break. If you see a deer, remember that they travel in herds. Slow down, and scan the area for additional animals as you ride along.

You can also keep yourself safe by increasing your visibility. Other drivers should be paying attention and looking out for motorcycles as they drive along. However, one of the most common types of motorcycle crashes involves a vehicle turning left and into the path of a motorcycle. In this situation, the rider has no time to react and collides with the vehicle, resulting in serious injury or death. This unfortunate fact illustrates how important is that motorcycle riders do all that they can to ensure that they are seen by everyone on the road.

To increase your visibility, add reflective or fluorescent accents to your clothing, your helmet, and even your bike. Also, make sure that your motorcycle has good lighting. If your rear brake light is small, consider replacing it with something bigger and/or brighter. You can add running lights to the front of your bike so that there are three lights instead of just one. For your headlight, use a DOT-approved super bright bulb. The angle at which your headlight is aimed can also make a difference. After checking to see what the law is in the state where you are riding, raise your headlight to the maximum angle that the law allows.

If you or someone that you love has been injured or killed in a motorcycle accident, it is important that you speak with an attorney right away. The knowledgeable Memphis motorcycle accident attorneys at Bailey & Greer, PLLC want to help you obtain the recovery that you deserve. To learn more, call us at 901-680-9777 to schedule a time to discuss your case.  At Bailey & Greer, PLLC, we are small enough to care, big enough to fight, and experienced enough to win.

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