7 Tips for Motorcycle Safety in Connecticut from an Experienced Personal Injury Attorney

Connecticut motorcycle riders often feel passionate about being on the road in the open air, but this experience brings severe risks. According to the NHTSA, motorcyclists account for nearly thirty times as many fatalities and about four times as many injuries as occupants of other passenger vehicles. While these statistics are sobering, you can minimize many risks by taking preventative actions.

We fully appreciate and understand the risk/reward trade-off as Dr. Mike has been an avid rider for over three decades. Below, our experienced personal injury attorneys from The Doctor Lawyer Team offer seven essential safety tips for Connecticut motorcyclists.

Wear a Proper Helmet and Full Protective Gear

As the motorcycle operator, you and any passenger should wear proper protective gear, including a Full-Face helmet for the best protection. Look for the European ECE 22.05 standard or the Snell Foundation standard since they provide more safety than the minimum USDOT approval standard.

When dressing for a motorcycle ride, prepare to counter any impact or abrasion resulting from a collision or accident. You and your passengers' protective gear should include:

• Full-Face Helmet with the proper safety ratings
• Motorcycle gloves with excellent grip, abrasion resistance, palm sliders (scaphoid protection), and knuckle armor
• Authentic Protective Motorcycle Jacket with abrasion resistance, elbow/shoulder/back armor padding, ventilation, and flexibility
• Protective pants to counter abrasion and engine heat, whether Kevlar-reinforced armored jeans, leather riding pants or specialized motorcycle pants designed for abrasion resistance and ventilation
• Motorcycle Boots with ankle protection, reinforced toe, and recessed laces to avoid entanglement in the motorcycle’s foot controls

Always Make Sure All Riders and Your Motorcycle are Prepared and in a Condition to Ride Safely

Always inspect your motorcycle before you ride to ensure it is in working order to identify and address potential problems. Before you take your motorcycle for a ride, you must first:

• Check Tire Pressure and Tread Depth
• Check Hand and Foot Brakes
• Check Headlights and Signals
• Check Fluids
• Check for Oil or Gas Leaks
• Balance Your Cargo Load, Adjusting Suspension & Tire Pressure for Weight

You should be well-rested and alert, ready to anticipate and react with short notice to issues on the road. All participants should test communication such as helmet intercom systems. Ensure new motorcycle passengers follow essential motorcycle passenger basics and practice making turns at a slower pace in a parking lot before taking them on the road.

Navigate The Road Defensively, Considering Visibility & Distance

Wear bright and visible colors to make you more visible to drivers. Ensure your motorcycle has proper reflectors. Ride defensively, aiming to prevent any surprises as you communicate with drivers.

Avoid sudden movements like lane changes, especially at close range to other vehicles. Give the drivers around you more time to adjust by putting distance between your motorcycle and other vehicles.

Be Vigilant of Hazards, Understanding Implications of Collision or Losing Control

There is almost nothing to protect you from other vehicles, the ground, or environmental objects. Remain consistently vigilant of hazards on the road, whether resulting from street disrepair, weather, animals, bicyclists, pedestrians, or other drivers.

Losing control of your motorcycle at any moment can lead to severe injury or death of yourself or others. You must know the implications of losing control while taking steps to limit dangerous obstacles. Anticipate and adjust to conditions you encounter in the street.

Carry First Aid, Your Emergency Contacts, and Your Medical Information When Riding

Be prepared. Whether you will be immediately addressing your injuries with a first aid kit or you are injured and unable to communicate with medical personnel, appropriate preparation can mean the difference between life and death.

• Keep a stocked first aid kit with your motorcycle while riding.
• Have your emergency medical information and your emergency contacts readily available when riding as well, understanding people at an accident scene may need to be able to find it without your conscious direction.

Be Predictable and Follow Traffic Rules Below The Speed Limit

Make an extra effort to communicate with other drivers; there should be no question whether they understand your next moves. Unexpected actions among motorcyclists pose dangers to riders and drivers of other vehicles that are generally not looking for motorcycles. Faster speeds or sharper turns translate to decreased reaction time and a decrease in control.

Invest in More Advanced Motorcycle Safety Courses

Beyond the minimum required education and licensing for motorcyclists in Connecticut, more advanced training options can make you a better and safer motorcycle operator. The Experienced Rider Course (ERC) is for riders with six months and 600 miles of experience. The Advanced Rider Course (ARC) develops better safety awareness skills such as perception of road hazards and crash avoidance. These and other courses can help you improve your knowledge and refresh your memory regarding best safety practices.

Contact The Doctor Lawyer Team If You Have Suffered An Injury in a Motorcycle Accident

Despite your best efforts, avoiding an accident is not always possible. If you’ve been in a motorcycle accident in Connecticut and need a personal injury attorney, contact The Doctor Lawyer Team. Our veteran-owned personal injury law firm provides a unique combination of advanced medical and legal knowledge with backgrounds as a board-certified surgeon and a former judge who was previously a federal prosecutor. If you need a motorcycle attorney, contact us at (833) DLT-WINS; (833) 358-9467 or fill out our online form for a free case evaluation. We charge no fees unless we recover compensation for you. The Doctor Lawyer Team — Join the Winning Team

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The information in this blog post (“post”) is provided for general informational purposes only and may not reflect the current law in your jurisdiction. No information in this post should be construed as legal advice from the individual author or the law firm, nor is it intended to be a substitute for legal counsel on any subject matter. No reader of this post should act or refrain from acting based on any information included in or accessible through this post without seeking the appropriate legal or other professional advice on the particular facts and circumstances at issue from a lawyer licensed in the recipient’s state, country, or other appropriate licensing jurisdiction.

The Doctor Lawyer Team
638 Prospect Avenue
Hartford, CT 06105
(833) DLT-WINS; (833) 358-9467
https://www.doctorlawyerteam.com/