Chris Auffenberg

Sharing the road with motorcycle drivers is easy with a few adjustments to your normal driving routine. Find four safety tips car drivers should follow below to help make sure everyone stays safe.

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Motorcycle Safety Tips for Car Drivers

Increase Your Following Distance

If you are following a motorcycle, you should increase your normal following distance by a few car lengths. Not only do motorcycles react faster than normal vehicles, making it harder to adjust your driving in time to avoid a collision, but it’s also much more dangerous for a motorcycle driver to be in an accident because they don’t have the protection of a vehicle’s body.

Check Your Blind Spots

Drivers on a motorcycle are a lot harder to see than drivers in a traditional car or truck. While drivers should be checking their blind spots each time they change lanes or turn already, it’s even more important to take a second look around before moving when sharing the road with motorcyclists.

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Always Signal

Cars and motorcycles share the road best when all drivers react in a predictable manner. That means signaling lane changes or turns well in advance so everyone else on the road knows what to expect. We like to start signaling a few seconds earlier when motorcycle drivers are present to give everyone plenty of time to react.

Give Them A Full Lane

While motorcycles take up less room than a traditional vehicle, they do have the right to a full lane. Under no circumstance should a driver try to pass a motorcyclist by going around them in the same lane. If you need to pass a slower driver, utilize the leftmost lane and be sure to use your turn signals well in advance.

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