Since you live near the city, you don’t have a normal passenger vehicle to get around. You’ve always had a smaller motorcycle, and it’s what you like to use.
Colder weather makes it hard to find days when you can ride your motorcycle, but when a warm day crops up in the winter, you hop on and go out. Unfortunately, not all drivers in New York expect to see a motorcyclist on the road in winter.
How can you be safe if you plan to ride a motorcycle in the winter?
The first thing to remember is that most people won’t expect to see someone on a motorcycle in winter, even in the city. Sure, you may only have a few blocks to ride before you reach your destination, but that’s not the issue. The problem is that other drivers won’t be looking for motorcyclists on the road.
You can help yourself stand out by wearing bright, reflective clothing. You may want to add additional lighting to your motorcycle or to your clothes, so you stand out on gray, cloudy days or when it’s dark outside.
You can also be safer by slowing down. If someone does hit you, you want to be traveling as slowly as possible. If you travel slower than usual, you’ll also be giving yourself more time to stop if someone pulls out in front of you or has to stop quickly ahead of you.
These are a couple of ideas for staying safer and being more apparent to the drivers around you. If someone does hit you on your motorcycle, the reality is that they can be held responsible if they weren’t paying attention or violated the rules of the road. You have a right to be on the road, no matter what time of year it is.
