Motorcycle Safety Tips for Cold Weather

Law/Наш блог/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

Five Apps Every Trucker Should Have

Driving a tractor trailer or any other large vehicle isn’t just about long hours, lots of miles and making sure you’re still driving safely after those lengthy days. It’s a lifestyle, and like any other connected lifestyle in the 21st century, there are plenty of apps to go around designed to help make a truck […]

29/05/2024
Read more

Five Safety Products for Motorcycle Riders

Approximately ten percent of motor vehicle deaths in the United States can be attributed to motorcycleaccidents. Safe riding and defensive driving are important to all motor vehicle operations, of course, but making sure you’re stocked up on the right equipment to make your ride as safe as possible is critical to avoiding accidents or, in […]

05/06/2024
Read more

Five Products for Increased Pedestrian Safety

While pedestrians typically have the right of way in most places, that doesn’t automatically make everyone around you a better or safer driver. As pedestrians, we have to activelypractice safety in order to make sure that we are the ones most responsible for our personal safety. Staying aware of our surroundings is always step number […]

29/05/2024
Read more

Tips for Avoiding Slip & Fall Accidents

Slipping and falling is hilarious in the movies and on TV, but when you enter the real world, slipsand falls are some of the most dangerous causes of personal injuries one can experience outside of a vehicle accident. Slip and fall accidents can happen anywhere and for many reasons – a simple spill, a loose […]

29/05/2024
Read more

More Apps for Increased Rideshare Safety

If every ride you take is just you and an unknown driver, it doesn’t hurt to look into your safety options. And while any unsure situation could potentially turn dangerous, you can do yourself a favor by finding helpful methods for letting people know where you are and where you’re going to be, and generally […]

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

Clearing Up Workers Compensation Misconceptions

If we hear the term “workers comp,” we probably feel like we understand the basics – if you get hurt on the job, you file for workers comp, you get time off to heal and hopefully a little extra something along with your salary to make it all easier. In an ideal world, sure, it […]

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

Pedestrian Safety in Cold Weather

When it’s cold outside, people drive worse than they did before. If you’re a pedestrian, you need to take extra precautions during the cold weather and, if you’re driving, you need to keep an extra eye out for pedestrians who are even harder to see, especially if snow is lowering your visibility. Safety is always […]

29/05/2024
Read more

Five Things to Know About Bike Accidents in Arizona

Bicycling may be the way to go for sustainable transportation, but that’s all the more reason why anyone in Arizona should make sure to practice basic bicycle safety. Over 47 million people in the United States ride bicycles, and that number will likely increase as some urban centers move away from fossil fuels and even […]

06/06/2024
Read more

контактная форма

Свяжитесь с нами

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.