Safer Motorcycle Driving on Tampa's Streets

Gas prices keep going up, forcing some and encouraging others to forego their cars and start driving motorcycles. The result: Your gas bills may have gone down but your risk of being involved in a Tampa motorcycle accident have certainly gone up. Tampa car accidents cause thousands of hundreds of injuries a year from minor whiplash to critical type injuries. Because motorcycles don't offer the protection cars do, most Tampa motorcycle accident injuries are not minor.

Taking a few minutes to understand how you can reduce your chance of being in a Tampa motorcycle accident can significantly reduce your risks.

Although driving the Tampa streets you don't normally expect an animal to dart out in front of you, the sudden appearance of a squirrel or in more remote areas of Tampa a deer can cause you to e involved in a Tampa motorcycle accident. This is especially true around dusk. So slow down on the roads and anticipate potential hazards coming onto the road.

Speaking of objects on the road, wet grass can certainly be a significant problem for Tampa motorcyclists making a turn. While it's normal for motorcyclists to speed up through a turn, if the ground is slippery because of rain or wet grass blown onto the road after a lawn cutting, you can easily skid out and be injured in a Tampa motorcycle accident.

Potholes and unmarked excavations are also a problem when driving a motorcycle in Tampa. It's important while driving a motorcycle that you look ahead and anticipate these potential problems. Remember, there are a lot of road hazards that are no problem for a car to navigate without causing a Tampa car accident, but injury attorneys will tell you that the same is not true of motorcycles, so stay aware. And if you sense a hazard ahead, don't speed up, it's a sign to slow down.

As a motorcyclist, Tampa injury law firms will tell you that it's important to stay aware of not only street hazards, but other drivers creating hazards. When you someone driving a car more slowly than other drivers or leaving a stop light slowly, it's certainly a possibility that these drivers are drunk or perhaps texting which can be as bad as being drunk. Rather than trying to find out, you're more apt to avoid a Tampa motorcycle accident if you just take steps to avoid these drivers as soon as possible.

In Tampa, we have railroad and trolley tracks, especially near the downtown Tampa area. These pose hazards to other wise safe driving motorcycle enthusiasts. That's because going over these hazards with your front wheel at anything less than a 90 degree angle begins to create potential problems and a greater degree of risk from falling. So as you approach these hazards, stay as close to 90 degrees as possible and take some weight off the front wheel with a touch of your throttle.

Merge ramps can cause motorcyclists even more problems than car drivers because of their vulnerability of getting hit directly by another vehicle. As you get onto a merge ramp, realize that the driver ahead of you may suddenly hit the brakes if they can't get an easy in to traffic. And if you're traveling on the highway and a merge ramp is coming up, you must understand that car drivers may suddenly swerve onto the highway rather than making a smooth transition. Be prepared to MOVE OUT OF THE WAY. It may be difficult as a motorcyclist to give way to a driver who is driving carelessly, but standing on principle can cause you to be lying on your backside in an emergency room as a result of injuries from a Tampa motorcycle accident if you don't forgive and move aside.

You may not know this, but approximately 50% of all motorcycle accidents Tampa and other cities throughout the country happen within the first six minutes of riding. No one knows for sure why that is. Tampa injury lawyers have though a theory that it happens because it takes a few minutes for motorcyclists to get familiar with riding a bike. Unfortunately, that time spent getting settled is a distraction to the Tampa motorcycle driver. Don't drive your motorcycle if you're distracted. Spend a few moments before leaving your garage get reacquainted with your motorcycle and help prevent significant motorcycle injuries in Tampa.

Raining is a hazard for automobile drivers and especially a problem for motorcyclists. Many Tampa motorcycle accidents happen because the driver forgets that the pain from crosswalks and cross bars can get particularly slippery when wet. Also, rain can cover the fact that there are significant pot holes in the road. You don't need a Tampa motorcycle accident lawyer to tell you that when your bike goes through a pothole it's not good for you or your bike.

Your attitude. Nobody generally talks about attitude when you get behind the wheel of a car. It's just not a significant issue other than an occasional discussion of road rage. Not true for motorcyclists who want to avoid injuries driving Tampa roads. If you're angry or distraught, you may want to flee to your motorcycle to enjoy the freedom of the open wind, but you're also significantly more likely to be involved in a Tampa motorcycle accident with serious injuries when you drive without your head being in the right place. So if you’re upset in any way, any Tampa motorcycle injury lawyer will tell you it's not time to drive your motorcycle but either get yourself in the right frame, become aware of your emotions and calm down or if you must, decide it'll be best for you and other drivers if you took the car.

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