As is well known, you cannot ride a bicycle on the highway and, while you may be able to ride a motorcycle on the highway, it would be fair to say that highway safety features (while also protecting those on two wheels) are not really designed with motorcycles in mind. Ride a Motorcycle On The Highway Many highway protection products and installations (like a highway cable barrier) are designed to cope with the shape and weight of larger vehicles, which naturally have the potential to cause more damage.
Highway safety experts Valtir advise that it is precisely this difference in size between a motorcycle and most vehicles which causes so many problems where safety is concerned. For one thing, motorcycles being invisible – most often to the largest, and therefore most dangerous vehicles on the road – is the key safety concern when it comes to riding a motorcycle on the highway, with any collision sure to spell disaster for the motorcyclist.
Accordingly, learning how to drive on two wheels on the highway is a specific discipline, and there are quite a few unique methods and advice that only apply to motorcyclists.
Motorcycling on the Highway
This can lead to some misconceptions about riding a motorcycle on the highway safely. For many first-time motorcyclists, riding on the highway for the first time can be terrifying. Your training doesn’t quite prepare you for the faster speeds and heavier traffic which are typical of highway driving. Some people even put off tackling the highway for quite some time before they venture out.
Perhaps this is on account, however, of a misconception. Riding on the highway is actually statistically safer than winding around on busy city roads or cruising down smaller B roads at speed. This is because, although fast, speed is largely consistent on the highway. There are no pedestrians appearing out of nowhere, no vehicles making to park, and there is plenty of space.
Nevertheless, the speed of a motorcycle, and the danger of suffering almost any kind of collision (spoiler: it will not go well for you) makes safety absolutely paramount. Especially when you’re dealing with typical highway speeds. Not only is deference to safety good in and of itself, but it will help you tackle the highway with more confidence, assured thatif you’re following the correct safety tips, highway motorcycling is not particularly dangerous by driving standards.
Tips for Successful Highway Motorcycling
So, what are the most important things to keep in mind? We will leave out usual highway safety tips and focus on those which are specific to riding a motorcycle on the highway:
Be Seen
As mentioned above, visibility – along with small vehicle size – is the biggest challenge to overcome when driving a motorcycle on the highway. For motorcyclists, there is a specific way of maximizing your visibility.A particularly good tip is to always have your front light on, which will allow you to be seen in the wing mirrors of other vehicles, even if they cannot make out your slight shape.
Get in Your Lane
What lane should a motorcyclist be in? It is wise to stay in the right lane and only move out of it when you need to overtake. And, speaking of that…
Overtaking
Here you have something of an advantage, being a small and highly maneuverable vehicle. Nevertheless, it is during overtaking maneuvers that the danger is highest. Be sure to wait for ample space and, as mentioned before, ensure maximum visibility.
Beyond these tips, the rest of the highway safety regulations apply. Do it right, and you will be driving not only safely, but safer than you would on other roads.
