Missouri motorcyclists and visitors to the state love the thrilling open-air experience of a weekend ride on some of the best motorcycle routes and trails of the Midwest, including Ozark mountain rides and scenic loops. But no one wants the exhilaration of a motorcycle ride to end in an emergency room. While motorcyclists aren’t perfect, the most common cause of motorcycle accidents in Missouri is driver error and negligence.
The slim design and smaller size of a motorcycle compared to four-wheeled vehicles makes it more difficult to see clearly and judge the speed accurately, leading to drivers failing to yield the right of way, car door accidents, and left-turn accidents. By improving visibility on a motorcycle, the rider reduces the chance of an accident.
Improving Daytime Visibility on a Motorcycle
It’s common for motorcyclists to wear black—a long-time component of motorcycle culture—but black blends in with the background color of the road. However, wearing bright, neon, or other high-visibility clothing during the daytime helps to increase visibility. If you really want to stick to your black leather, choose a white or brightly colored, DOT-approved helmet, or top your outerwear with a high-visibility vest or an orange construction vest with reflective panels. Other tips for daytime visibility include:
- Using auxiliary LED lights along the width of the motorcycle
- Tapping your brakes in traffic to ensure that the driver behind your motorcycle is aware of your presence
- Avoid traveling in a vehicle’s blind spots
- Lightly tap your horn if you’re uncertain that a driver sees you
- Add reflective tape which catches and refracts sunlight to attract the eye of drivers even in daylight
Motorcyclists should always practice defensive driving and assume that drivers can’t see them, even while wearing bright clothes and reflective gear.
Improving Nighttime Visibility on a Motorcycle
It may seem safer to ride during the daytime and limit night rides; however, some motorcyclists feel that they are more visible at night than during the daytime because of their lights. Motorcyclists can increase nighttime safety on the road by doing the following:
- Checking all lights before a night ride to ensure that they are functioning correctly
- Using LED lighting upgrades to increase visibility
- Adding auxiliary driving lights
- Tapping the brake lights so they flash when slowing down or stopping, or adding brake light adapters to change your solid brake lights into flashing ones
- Choosing a light-colored motorcycle if you plan to ride frequently at night
- Wearing reflective clothing and adding reflective tape
- Adding a headlight modulator kit to pulse low-beam headlights and increase visibility
- Switching to high beams when a driver is making a left turn to ensure they see you since left-turn accidents are one of the most common causes of motorcycle accidents
- Avoiding wearing black or dark-colored clothing
Make Your Bike and Yourself Seen and Heard
In the daytime or while night riding, decreasing a motorcycle’s speed in traffic gives drivers a greater opportunity to spot the motorcycle and more accurately judge speed and distance. Choosing a loud motorcycle is another way to increase safety by ensuring that you are heard in traffic as well as seen. If you or a loved one suffered from someone whose motorcycle bike was not seen and heard in Missouri, calling a St. Louis motorcycle accident lawyer or any attorney residing in the state would be a great option. It would provide great understanding, clarity, information, and peace of mind throughout the whole process.