Motorcycle Safety Tips for Cold Weather

Law/Nuestro blog/Motorcycle Safety Tips for Cold Weather

Motorcycle Safety Tips for Cold Weather

29/05/2024

Driving any vehicle in cold weather and especially snow is going to make for a much more difficult time than driving in dry, comfortable weather. With enough preparation and all of the right gear, it is possible to mitigate many of these problems, but without them, you run the risk of a deadly accident. Before you head out in the snow or in cold weather, always get your bike checked by a trusted mechanic to make sure the machine itself is ready for cold weather riding. Here are some general tips for safe motorcycle driving in the winter.


Preparing Your Bike for Winter

Your bike is likely going to take longer to start in the colder weather, as most motorcycles are equipped with batteries and fluids suited for riding the other three seasons of the year.

  • Equip your bike with a cold weather battery,
    especially if yours struggles to start in the cold
  • Make sure your oil is also suited to cold
    weather – if not, your mechanic may recommend a thinner oil
  • Your mechanic will also be able to recommend any
    other cold weather fluids your bike might need

Preparing Your Gear for Winter

If the bike is ready for cold weather, you need to be ready. Helmets, pads, jackets, boots and gloves are all important, year-round, but you should suit up with temperature-appropriate gear, too.

  • Whatever you have, get the warmer version of it
    – this goes for the jacket, boots, gloves – everything
    • The wind makes the air feel colder, especially once
      you’re up to road speed – make sue everything is insulted
    • You run the risk of frostbite or hypothermia in
      windy, cold, exposed conditions
  • Consider heated gear, if possible, to better
    protect from the cold
  • A standard-issue visor may fog up in the cold, so
    consider a full-face helmet for the cold, preferably with an anti-fog visor or electric
    defrost built in

Winter Motorcycle Riding Tips

You know that driving on ice and snow it degrees harder than riding on a dry street, but there are some basics you should keep in mind if you are stuck out there:

  • Don’t ride in the snow – you can usually wait it
    out, or simply wait to ride when there’s no snow, even if its cold out
  • Drive slower – you can’t risk skidding out or
    being unable to brake fast enough, causing an
    accident
  • Keep more distance between yourself and other
    vehicles
  • Wear high-visibility gear and lights to avoid
    being hit

Check in With Yourself

You should keep an eye on how your body is reacting as you ride, too. If you’re cold, there’s a chance you won’t have the best control of your bike. Your sensitivity can be dulled and your reaction times can be slower.

  • Don’t ride if you aren’t feeling up to it – the
    cold could be the difference between a safe ride and a dangerous one
  • Check in with other riders on group rides to
    make sure everyone is okay to continue
  • Take breaks if anyone is uneasy or tired during
    the ride

blogs

You might like

Tips for Avoiding Motorcycle Accidents

Motorcycles as a mode of transportation are inherently moredangerous than others. Because of this, motorcycle drivers have an extra onus on them to be the safest drivers possible. Many motorcycle accidents are caused due to careless motorcycle driving, and while you may think you’re one of the safe ones, anyone can be caught off guard. […]

29/05/2024
Read more

Five Products for Truck Driver Safety

Truck drivers are the backbone of the economy, and their safety is of the utmost importance. Not only are they at special risk of trafficaccidents, but truck driving comes with a host of other dangers. The easiest way to stay safe while driving any vehicle is being aware of your surroundings and making sure your […]

29/05/2024
Read more

Bicycle Accidents

Bicycles may be a reliably safe mode of transportation but, as in so many accidents out in the world, the problem is not often with the mode of transportation you’re in, but how the person who hits you is traveling. Every year, more than 50,000 bicyclists are injured in collisions with automobiles. Too few of […]

29/05/2024
Read more

Winter Bicycle Riding Tips

With cold winds in your face and slick surfaces to navigate, the winter is not the ideal to ride on your typical bicycle. Many of us use a bike as our regular transportation, and some of us have our bikes tricked out for winter riding, as well. In order to make the most of your […]

29/05/2024
Read more

Five Helpful Facts and Tips About Motorcycle Accidents

Motorcycles are specialist machines. They require their own licenses, training and a specific discipline for driving safely. Learning to drive defensively on a motorcycle can be more difficult than doing so in an automobile. Each year, there are 2,907 total motorcycle crashes, 2,274 of which result in injuries and 156 of which result in some […]

29/05/2024
Read more

Five Helpful Facts and Tips About Pedestrian Accidents

The pedestrian fatality rate in Arizona is more than double that of the national average, at 1.61 pedestrian deaths per 100,000 people. Most of these are male pedestrians, killed at a rate of almost three times as much as female pedestrians. Keeping pedestrians safe is everyone’s job, but as a pedestrian, you should understand the […]

29/05/2024
Read more

Winter Rideshare Safety Tips

Winter driving is no joke in general. Everyone needs to slow down and be sure to take the proper winter driving precautions, but if you drive a rideshare, your point-to-point driving makes you more vulnerable to getting in an accident than if you were simply driving to and from work. Add to this the dangers […]

29/05/2024
Read more

Common Causes for Tractor Trailer Accidents

There’s a good reason tractor trailers require a specialty license to operate them. They’re big, fast, heavy, and – in the wrong conditions – incredibly dangerous. It is estimated that 3.5 percent of all automobileaccidents each year involve tractor trailers. Around 4,600 of these result in some sort of fatality. This can be due to […]

29/05/2024
Read more

California Lemon Laws: How Exactly Do They Work?

Buying a car in California, whether brand new or slightly used is always an exciting experience. Even if you already have a few in your garage, the thought of painting the town red in a new ride is nothing but thrilling. So, it can be incredibly disappointing if your new or used car keeps on […]

07/06/2024
Read more

Slip and Fall Injuries in Arizona and California

In desert climates especially, some property managers have a tendency to not count on inclement weather when it comes to the upkeep of their properties. This means that, over time, things like rain and seismic shifts can slowly wear away at all kinds of surfaces, making them unsafe to walk on. While property managers may […]

29/05/2024
Read more

formulario de contacto

Póngase en contacto

By providing your phone number, you agree to receive text messages from RS Law Offices. Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency varies. View our Privacy Policy.