Dealing With Motorcycle Accidents: A Before, During, And After Guide

What To Do Before

Protecting yourself while riding a motorcycle is crucial to prevent accidents. Unlike cars, motorcycles provide little to no protection in the event of a collision, making it essential to wear appropriate safety gear.

Additionally, it’s important to practice defensive driving techniques, such as staying alert and aware of your surroundings, maintaining a safe distance from other vehicles, and avoiding situations that could lead to accidents. By taking these precautions, you can significantly reduce the risk of a motorcycle accident and ensure that you’re safe on the road.

Here are more tips to avoid a motorcycle accident.

1. Always Be Alert

Distractions are among the major causes of road accidents. Therefore, as a rider, you must know everything occurring on the road. Watch where other drivers are and their next action. Staying alert can save you from veering off the road by knowing where the road is turning and the sharpness of the turn. 

Moreover, being alert enables you to observe any hazards like potholes and debris along the road and avoid them.     

2. Put On A Helmet

Wearing a helmet is an essential safety measure. It minimizes the chances of head injuries. In case of accidents, most motorists injure their heads, which may mostly result in death. However, with a helmet, you increase your chances of surviving.  

 A helmet can also protect your eyes from dust particles, strong winds, dirt, or sun rays that can cause discomfort and inconvenience, hindering your vision and leading to an accident.

3. Be Visible

Another significant way to stay safe on the road is wearing reflective clothing. Doing this makes you visible to other drivers, lowering the risks of injuries and accidents. Additionally, it allows other motorists and drivers to spot you at night or in low-light conditions. That way, you can be confident and enjoy your ride, knowing no one can overtake you unsafely.  

4. Monitor Cars Turning Left

The most popular type of accident involving motorcycles occurs at intersections. A driver may turn left without confirming the presence of another vehicle, or you may be in the blind spot and get hit. To prevent this, always monitor cars turning left by checking on any sign. 

5. Never Drink Before Riding

Drinking and driving a motorcycle is a dangerous combination because alcohol blurs your vision, relaxes muscle tone (making you feel tired), and slows reaction time. Furthermore, the increased alcohol in your blood can lead to double-vision, making it hard to judge your distance from other motorists and vehicles. 

The best way to avoid an accident while driving under the influence is not to drink at all. However, if you do drink alcohol, make sure that you have a designated driver or abstain from driving for several hours after drinking.

6. Maintain Your Bike

A well-maintained motorcycle minimizes an injury or accident on the road. Some parts to regularly maintain or replace to ensure your bike operates at its best include:

• Drive chain
• Tires
• Brakes
• Oil
• Battery
• Air and fuel filters

All these parts are prone to high wear. So they may fail without constant checks, repairs, and replacements, causing mild or severe accidents. Remember that you can always enlist the help of an expert for professional services.  

7. Enroll In A Safety Course 

Enrolling in a motorcycle safety course before stepping into the road is vital. These courses can help you learn the various causes of motorcycle accidents and how to avoid them. Moreover, they’ll help you learn how to operate and maintain your motorcycle safely.  

What To Do During And After

Knowing what to do during and after a motorcycle accident reduces injury and avoids further harm and legal issues. Below are some critical things you may do:

1. Relax 

When involved in an accident, it’s natural to tense or overreact. However, this can worsen your situation. When you’re distressed, your body may go into shock. You can also take your disappointment to the other party, worsening your condition. Therefore, it’s essential to remain calm. To do this:

• Breathe deeply: Breathing is one of the best when you’re stressed. Breathe in deeply and hold, then breathe out slowly. This will ensure oxygen reaches all the parts of your body, helping you to relax. When breathing, concentrate on calming your muscles.
• Close your eyes and envision yourself in a different place: You can distract your feelings by visualizing yourself in a place that makes you happy. 
• Stay in your position for some minutes: Don’t jump off your bike or move from where you’re lying down. Doing this lets you picture the accident and determine your body’s response. Knowing this enables you to regulate your thoughts and feelings. 

Staying calm boosts your memory of the situation and lets you reason logically about the incident. Therefore, try as much as possible to remain calm.

2. Seek Medication

Motorcycle accidents can be fatal. Therefore, if you, your passengers, or the other party are badly injured, call for emergency medical attention. Remember to stay calm until the paramedics arrive. Even if you feel you aren’t hurt, seek medication from doctors to examine any internal damage. Sometimes, accidents can be traumatizing. In such cases, it’s best to visit a therapist.  

3. Collect Evidence

Usually, most people blame motorcycle drivers in case of an accident. To avoid this, you need to have evidence. Take photos or videos of the scene. You can ask someone to help you if you can’t do this. Additionally, talk to any witness who saw what happened. Request their names, phone numbers, and addresses. These statements can be vital in a motorcycle accident case as your lawyer may want to speak to these people and know what happened. 

4. Call The Police

If there aren’t any damages or injuries, you can solve the case amicably and proceed with your journey to avoid worthless drama, traffic, or crowding. However, in case of any damage or injury, you must inform the police. Their report can be essential, especially when seeking claims and compensation from the offending party. 

Conclusion

Nobody wishes to be involved in any form of accident. However, accidents can sometimes be inevitable. They happen anytime and anywhere. Being prepared for a motorcycle accident can help you handle your situation better. Additionally, it can help you minimize the severity of the damage and injuries. 

Learn all the safety tips and the various steps to follow during and after an accident. This will help you increase your chances of surviving and have clear evidence to save you from false accusations.