A Short Trip to a Lot
of Damage
By Richard Flynn
Did you know that most motorcycle accidents involve a short trip?
You could be going to go shopping or run errands and bang you find yourself in accident. A lot of our trips this time of year tend to short and we need to be especially careful.
Why do more accidents happen close to home?
The answer is simple, almost 72 per cent of respondents in an insurance survey admitted to paying less attention on local roads and 60 per cent said that they become lazy when nearing their home.
The most common crash within a mile of the home is crashing into parked cars. We tend to be on our comfort zone when we are on roads we know. When on long trips we tend to get sleep the night before and prepare for the trip. We are out of our comfort zone on long trips so we are constantly aware of what is going on around us. Some statistics say that only 89 per cent of accidents happen within 26 miles from the home. Keep in mind that the typical motorcycle accident allows you less than 2 seconds to complete all collision avoidance action. To keep yourself alert check your mirrors every five to eight seconds. Make sure you are constantly clearing the road ahead. On the residential streets, especially in winter look for cars because they will not be looking for you.
Keep your mind on the road at all times.
