Though we don’t repair motorcycles, we are huge fans of them. Schultz Auto & Truck Repair in Hamburg, NY will do motorcycle safety inspections as required by the State of New York. For Motorcycle Awareness Month, consider getting a safety inspection, triple-checking your blind spots, and keeping a watchful eye for any motorcyclists on the road. After all, motorcyclists could be your father, mother, brother, sister, son, daughter, or friend. :-)
May is Motorcycle Awareness Month. There are ways for the average motorist to be better at sharing the road and there are definite ways that motorcycle riders can better protect themselves. The more that motorists understand basic motorcycle driving behavior, the easier it is to help keep them safe. The more that motorcyclists understand their limits, the roads, and their bikes, the best they can protect themselves. It’s all of us paying attention and having a willingness to share the road that will keep all of us driving at the safest level possible!
Tips for the cyclist:
- Every motorcycle driver needs to take a motorcycle safety course. Learning how to stay safe is obviously critical for the motorcycle driver.
- Before hitting the road, always do a cursory once-over of your bike checking for anything potentially amiss.
- Don't’ speed. Sorry for stating the obvious, but it apparently needs to be said.
- If you are riding in hot weather make sure you stay hydrated. Dehydration can make your brain play tricks on you and potentially cause an accident. Just remember that water is your friend and dehydration is sneaky and will catch you unaware if you’re not prepared!
- Avoid driving your bike in poor weather conditions. Even if that means you’re not riding for quite some time!
- Invest in a good bike that will serve your driving abilities.
- Even if you love the feel of the wind in your hair, wear the dang helmet! We want you and your head to stay safe.
- Don’t wear shorts and flip flops. Dress to protect your body! Invest in good leathers and footwear.
- Learn how to drive defensively without being an aggressive driver.
- If your bike doesn’t come standard with ABS brakes, invest in them because they give you much better control when you’ll need it the most.
- Know your driving strengths and play to them while avoiding riding in ways that aren’t your strong suit.
- Don’t put a passenger behind you unless you are a seasoned biker who is willing to educate a passenger on how to ride safely.
Considering that most motorcycle fatalities are the fault of the automobile driver, it’s critical that we become more aware of how we can safely share the road with our motorcycle friends:
- Take an extra moment to really look for a possible bike before changing lanes since they can be very difficult to see.
- Keep extra distance between you and a bike in front of you since they often slow down without using their brakes.
- Don’t expect that a motorcycle can always dodge out of the way, even though they can be much nimbler than an automobile.
- While the stopping distance for motorcycles is roughly the same for cars, it’s always best to give them a little extra room if for no other reason that they don’t have the protection like a car.
- Take a moment to acknowledge that the person under the helmet could be your friend, neighbor, or relative. It helps to humanize bikers to give us more patience and to recognize the importance of seeing them as humans!
- Remember that a motorcyclist has very little protection if you hit them. And there’s no taking that back.
- Make a commitment to start looking for bikers on the road, at intersections, changing lanes, etc. It the best chance we have to reduce the likelihood of an accident.
At the end of the day, enjoy the ride but stay as safe as possible in doing so! While Schultz Auto & Truck Repair doesn’t work on bikes, we do love and respect the biking community and will always do our best to support you and your safety. If you have an auto repair or service need, make your appointment today! We are conveniently located at 5085 Southwestern Blvd., Hamburg, NY 14075 and we are open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. We look forward to seeing you soon and promise to always look out for motorcyclists on the road. Happy Motorcycle Awareness Month!