On top of exposing their operators and riders entirely to the outside world, motorcycles also lack safety features like airbags and seatbelts that many motor vehicle drivers take for granted. You cannot count on anything but your own actions protecting you while riding a motorcycle. It is especially important for you to be safe and law-abiding if you want to reduce your risk of suffering catastrophic harm in a motorcycle wreck.
Below are some basic safety measures to prevent motorcycle accidents in Nashville that should go a long way toward preventing you and your passengers from sustaining avoidable harm on the road. However, suppose you get hurt in a wreck that was not your fault. In that case, help is available from our team of experienced injury attorneys at Ponce Law.
Many more motorcycle accidents than you might think stem not from a motorcyclist or another driver acting irresponsibly on the road, but instead from the motorcycle itself malfunctioning while traveling at highway speeds. With that in mind, one of the best safety measures you can take to prevent motorcycle accidents in Nashville is checking before each ride that your vehicle is in safe working order, with particular attention paid to your headlights, brakes, turn signals, and fluid levels.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of drivers out there who keep an eye out for other cars like theirs but do not think about the possibility that smaller vehicles like motorcycles might be near them. This means it falls to you as a motorcycle rider to make sure other drivers have no choice but to see you on the road, whether that means wearing bright-colored clothing, reflective strips, or even flashing lights on your riding gear.
Even if you are visible, other drivers may put you in harm’s way by breaking traffic laws or acting irresponsibly behind the wheel. Generally, a motorcyclist should assume that other drivers may act negligently and be cautious while riding around them. It may be annoying, but slowing down just in case a driver ahead ignores a stop sign or does not yield properly is a safety measure that could not only prevent a Nashville motorcycle wreck, but also potentially save your life.
Along similar lines, you cannot react quickly to hazards and make good decisions about how and where to ride if you are impaired by alcohol, drugs, or extreme fatigue. Keeping yourself in good physical condition is just as important to riding safely as keeping your motorcycle well-maintained, as any well-practiced motorcycle crash lawyer could tell you.
Of course, even the most responsible motorcyclists cannot completely eliminate the risk of getting hurt in a crash caused entirely by someone else’s negligence. If this has happened to you, taking prompt legal action could be key to protecting your long-term best interests, as could working closely with a local legal team that has been aggressively pursuing justice in this area for decades.
If the above safety measures to prevent motorcycle accidents in Nashville were not enough to keep you safe, you should reach out sooner rather than later to the law firm voted repeatedly in the Tennessean’s Best of Music City Awards as the Best Law Firm in Nashville. Call Ponce Law today for a free consultation.
