It’s not uncommon for bikers to experience close calls or near-miss motorcycle accidents. A common reaction afterwards is breathing a deep sigh of relief as the adrenaline wears off. Other than a lasting bad memory, life for the motorcyclist resumes as if nothing happened. After all, near-miss accidents have no physical consequences.
However, this reaction is a mistake, especially if near misses have happened multiple times. These incidents indicate that there’s an underlying problem with your riding or perhaps your gear. It’s best to examine what you could have done differently to prevent the close call. Here are three possibilities to think about:
Defensive Riding Weaknesses
Perhaps you aren’t allowing enough following space behind the vehicle in front. Without enough space, you have insufficient time to evade a collision without resorting to desperate split second maneuvers. The next time a similar thing happens, you may not have enough time to do even this. Allow enough following space for at least three or four seconds of reaction time. Always think actively about the intentions of the traffic around you.
Visibility Problems
If many of your near misses happen because other traffic aren’t looking where they’re going, motorist distraction could be the problem. However, another possible explanation is that they simply didn’t see you. Motorcycles are smaller and shaped differently than cars. This makes them difficult to notice in busy situations. Wear clothing and a helmet with high visibility colors. Wear reflective material at night and always assume that others don’t see you.
Overconfidence
This can happen to inexperienced riders as well as those with years or even decades of experience. What the two overconfident groups have in common is a feeling of mastery over their riding and of not having experienced any motorcycle accidents. The inexperienced rider becomes overconfident once he learns how to handle his bike and feels comfortable on it. In his case, he hasn’t been riding long enough to get into an accident and feels confident things will continue that way. The experienced rider similarly feels confident that there’s nothing to worry about because he’s been riding for years without any accidents.
In both cases, overconfidence causes complacency and possibly reckless risk taking. However, the objective danger to both types of riders is the same for them as for other riders on the road. If they aren’t riding defensively, an accident will likely occur regardless of their feelings of invincibility.
If a negligent or reckless motorist injured you in an accident, get help from experienced lawyers who will fight to get you the compensation you deserve. Contact us at Hogan Injury.