Most people don’t meet with a lawyer until after it’s too late. That’s a shame, because many motorcycle accidents are caused by completely preventable behaviors. What any good Denver motorcycle accident attorney will tell you is that by avoiding making the mistakes that you can prevent you dramatically reduce the likelihood you’ll be seriously impacted by something you can’t avoid. We wanted to a take a moment and talk about a few of the most common mistakes motorcyclists make. (We’ve also shared a few tips for your next motorcycle ride.)
A beer or two is fine, right?
While it’s unlikely that you’ll reach the legal limit after having just one beer, it’s important to remember that driving a motorcycle is actually a lot more work than driving a car. When you’re riding, you’re doing a lot of work to balance the vehicle. The placement of your weight and the way that you move your body influences the way that your vehicle performs on the open road.
Often, you’ll see sports cyclists perform turns that they actually lean into. Balance has a huge impact on the feel of the ride and the handling of the bike. Alcohol has a number of different effects on the parts of your body that control balance. Some recent studies even suggest that in small accounts, alcohol reacts with the body differently than it does in large amounts. Because of these differences in effects, the body can react in surprising ways.
When you combine that uncertainty with a high-performance high-demand activity like driving a motorcycle, you get a recipe for disaster. That’s why our team of Denver personal injury lawyers along with many others suggest that if you’re planning a ride, you plan to consume alcohol at a different time. While you may think that you are the exception to this general principle, our hospitals and emergency rooms are full of people who thought exactly the same thing. Our experienced drunk driving accident attorneys in Denver have handled numerous injury cases caused by reckless driving behaviors. When it comes to riding a motorcycle, it’s better to err on the side of safety and ride sober.
I Just Bought The Bike
We’ve written in the past about how important it is to know your vehicle before you get onto the road. But when it comes to motorcycle accidents, “I just got the bike,” is something you hear an awful lot.
Maybe it’s the thrill of the promise of the open road or the rush of the wind as it whips through your hair. Maybe it’s the freedom you feel knowing that the only thing separating you from the road is a little bit of rubber seated underneath a whole lot of metal. Motorcycles excite the imagination. The allure of reliving that childhood dream of riding a motorcycle inspires countless purchases each year.
Unfortunately that unbridled enthusiasm leads many first time riders towards disaster.
Before you operate a piece of machinery as complicated as motorcycle by yourself, there are things you should know. You wouldn’t put a fifteen year old with no driving experience onto a highway, why should you treat yourself any differently?
Take the time to understand each feature of your bike. Read the owner’s manual. Familiarize yourself with the maintenance procedures necessary to keep your bike in top shape.
Take advantage of extra training opportunities offered by the motorcycle safety instructor who prepares you for your license exam.
It can be frustrating to have to wait to enjoy your new motorcycle, but with a little bit of luck and a keen eye for safety, you’ll be enjoying that bike for years to come.
