Motorcyclists often are the most vulnerable of any driver on the road. Their vehicle offers very little by way of protection, meaning they take the brunt of most hits and falls.
Some dangers prove even more of a risk to motorcyclists than the typical ones, though. Exactly what are they?
Intersections
Motor Biscuit discusses the major dangers motorcyclists come up against. First, right-hand turns. Many people let their guards down when taking a right turn because they are turning with the flow of traffic rather than against it. Because of that, drivers often do not check for other vehicles and could miss a motorcycle entirely.
For a similar reason, four-way intersections also cause an issue. Drivers may have such focus on other cars that they neglect to notice smaller motorcycles that might be behind a car, waiting to turn or in the process of turning.
Merging
Merging is another big problem. Again, many drivers do not look closely enough when merging into another lane. Because of how small motorcycles are, it is easy to miss them when attempting to get into a different line of traffic and sideswipe them.
Night driving
Of course, night driving is already a big risk on its own. For motorcyclists, who are hard enough to see during the day, it can create an even bigger issue. Motorcyclists should wear reflective materials and consider putting reflective strips on their motorcycles, too. Anything that improves visibility can lower the risk of crashes.
While the risk of a crash is difficult to entirely eliminate, knowing what risks to have an awareness of can do a lot to help avoid getting in one.
