Motorcycle Safety

Why Motorcycle Safety Is So Important

Motorcycle enthusiasts maintain there is nothing that compares to the feeling of riding “cageless,” feeling open air on their face while casually rolling along. Unfortunately, this freedom often comes at a high price if a motorcycle is involved in a crash. Motorcycles offer little protection, so if an accident occurs, riders often suffer catastrophic injuries, such as brain and spinal cord injuries that can result in permanent damages or death.

Motorcycles are more difficult for drivers of larger vehicles to see and avoid, and they can be thrown off course easily by unexpected damage and debris in the road. It is important for motorcyclists to develop safety skills, coordination, and balance to operate their cycles as safely as possible and avoid becoming a statistic. Consider the following tips for safe motorcycling:

Tips for Motorcycle Safety

Know and Obey Kentucky Laws.

Kentucky’s laws and requirements regarding motorcycles serve the purpose of increasing safety on the road. Important laws to know include:

License requirements.  According to the Kentucky State Police’s Kentucky Motorcycle Manual, anyone who operates a motorcycle in Kentucky must have a valid motor vehicle operator’s license with a valid motorcycle operator’s endorsement, a motorcycle license, or an instruction permit. You must be at least 18 years old or have parental consent and assume additional responsibilities.

Equipment Requirements. Motorcycles in Kentucky must have a seat or footrest permanently attached and be equipped with:

• Rearview mirror
• Headlight (high and low beams), taillight, and brake light
• Horn
• Muffler and tailpipe
• Front and rear brakes
• Good tires
• Turn signals (if part of factory equipment).

In addition, your registration must be available.

Helmet Laws. Kentucky has a partial helmet law where riders under 21, those with a motorcycle permit, and those who have had their motorcycle license for less than one year must wear a helmet. Adult riders with more experience are not required to wear one, but wearing a helmet is strongly recommended. Helmets are estimated to be about 37 percent effective in preventing motorcycle deaths and about 67 percent effective in preventing brain injuries, and studies have shown that helmeted motorcyclists suffer fewer neck injuries when they crash compared to riders who crash without helmets.

If you are injured in an accident and were not wearing a helmet, it can negatively affect personal injury claims and potentially reduce compensation, as insurance companies can claim that injuries were exacerbated by the lack of a helmet.

Lane splitting and lane filtering. These practices, occurring when motorcyclists ride between lanes of slow or stopped traffic, are illegal in Kentucky. Motorcyclists must remain within their designated lane, wait in line with other vehicles and follow the same traffic rules. If an accident occurs while lane splitting or lane filtering, motorcyclists may be considered at fault.

Dead Red Law. Because some motorcycles are too light to trigger a red light to turn to green, Kentucky allows motorcyclists facing a steady red light to enter or cross the intersection if the person establishes all of the following conditions:

• The motorcycle was brought to a complete stop;
• The traffic control signal continued to show a steady red light for 120 seconds or completed two lighting cycles;
• The traffic control signal was apparently malfunctioning or the signal apparently failed to detect the arrival of a motorcycle; and
• No motor vehicle or person was approaching or they were too far away from the intersection to be an immediate hazard.

This law allows people to make a careful, sensible decision when they encounter a non-responsive traffic light. Motorcyclists should exercise extreme caution when using it, always prioritizing safety and yielding to any oncoming traffic.

Right -of-way. Motorcycle riders must yield the right of way to pedestrians and other vehicles when required by law.

Take a Safety Class

Whether you have never taken a class or haven’t in years, consider attending a Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) riding course. The MSF is a nonprofit organization, supported by motorcycle manufacturers, that offers several motorcycle safety courses aimed at varying skill levels. Basic courses help new riders be less overwhelmed when they finally hit the road solo; intermediate courses offer new techniques to enhance the riding experience; and refresher courses help with forgotten or neglected skills. There are even financial incentives — select insurance companies give discounts for completing a class, while some motorcycle manufacturers offer refunds or discounts on a new bike.

Respect the Machine

Respect the design of the machine you are riding. There has been much debate about what type of bike is the safest. Some argue that sport bikes accelerate and brake better than cruisers do, allowing them to maneuver out of hazardous situations more easily. Others argue that cruisers are harder to miss because they are louder, run better in rainy conditions due to the heavier engines and have additional protective barriers in the form of fenders. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, sport bikes have the highest death rates among all types of motorcycles. Regardless of type, the responsibility is in the hands of the rider and the choices they make, not the machine

Ride Sober

Follow DUI laws — the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit for motorcyclists is 0.08%. In 2022, twenty-nine percent of fatally injured motorcycle drivers  had a (BAC) at or above 0.08%, as did forty-nine percent of motorcycle drivers killed at night (9 p.m. – 6 a.m.). The MSF estimates that even the least amount of alcohol increases a rider’s chance of crashing by five times, and a (still potentially legal) BAC over 0.05% increases chances of crashing 40 times. Among other side effects, alcohol can influence safe driving skills by impairing vision, reducing reaction times, diminishing concentration, causing drowsiness and losing short-term memory. Decreased abilities, which a person cannot adequately judge, combined with a lessened sense of inhibition, may also yield an increased sense of (false) confidence.

General safety tactics

Try to ride as if nobody driving a car or truck sees you. Never assume the right of way. When you see another vehicle on the road, ride as if they will do the one thing they should not do, such as pull out in front of you, cross into your lane, run the red light, or rear-end you as you slow or stop. Learn to yield, even when it is your right not to do so. Plan ahead and always leave yourself an escape route. Wear bright colors, especially on your helmet and jacket. Run your high beam during the day. Make an effort to ride in or move to a location where drivers with potentially conflicting courses can see you before they stray in your direction. Learn to roll off the throttle because sometimes it’s best to drop back rather than try to ride around or race past another vehicle.

Get Legal Help for a Motorcycle Accident

Accidents can happen to even the safest motorcycle riders. If you or a loved one has been injured or someone has died in a motorcycle accident, don’t try to fight for compensation on your own. Trust your case to the attorneys at the Johnson Law Firm. Founded and overseen by Billy Johnson, a lawyer who rides (his favorite bike is his Harley Davidson CVO Ultra Classic), the Pikeville, KY-based Johnson Law Firm has represented motorcyclists who have been injured in a wide variety of situations over the past 15+ years. Billy has the skill and tenaciousness to go toe-to-toe with insurance companies and ensure that they pay fair amounts to victims of motorcycle crashes. Our Kentucky attorneys are fully prepared to fight for the compensation motorcycle riders deserve.

For a no-obligation, free consultation, call us today at 606-437-4488.