8 Motorcycle Visibility Tips

Florida’s sunshine makes it a great place to ride motorcycles. However, because there are so many motorcyclists in our state, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that we also have the most motorcycle fatalities in the nation. Although motorcyclists account for only seven percent of Florida motorists, 19 percent of all fatal accidents involve a motorcycle. Many of these accidents involve other drivers who failed to pay attention to the motorcyclist and ended up colliding with them.

We care about your safety, so we have put together this list of motorcycle safety tips. By increasing your visibility, you can significantly decrease your chances of being involved in an accident with another vehicle.

Keep these tips in mind:

1. Use reflective tape. Reflective tape is a simple and effective way to make your bike more conspicuous when you ride at night. Add the tape to your wheel rims or any part of your bike that protrudes a good distance from a light source.
2. Ride a brightly colored motorcycle. Since dark motorcycles can be difficult for other drivers to see, consider driving a brightly colored bike.
3. Wear high visibility safety gear. Wearing high visibility safety gear is the cheapest and easiest way to increase your visibility on the road. High-visibility colors like neon orange and yellow will instantly attract a driver’s eyes and make them aware of your presence.
4. Add auxiliary lights. Adding extra lights to your bike goes a long way to increase your visibility. In fact, it can increase another driver’s ability to accurately determine a motorcycle’s distance by 10 percent and its speed by 20 percent.
5. Use your horn. Don’t forget to use your horn! It’s there to help alert inattentive, distracted drivers of your presence before they end up causing an accident.
6. Use your high beams. You can increase your visibility during the day by riding with your high beams on. They won’t be seen with the same contrast during the day as they are during the night, so don’t worry about blinding other motorists.
7. Avoid riding in blind spots. There’s a reason blind spots are called blind spots! Make your passes quickly and avoid lingering next to vehicles in areas where they may not see you.
8. Tap your brakes. A good way to get the attention of the person behind you is to tap your brakes, which causes your taillights to blink. This is also an effective way to alert other riders of potential dangers on the road ahead.

Visit our website for more information on Tampa motorcycle accidents. To request a complimentary case review with a Tampa motorcycle accident lawyer at Vanguard Attorneys, please call our office at (813) 471-4444.