Newbie No-Nos
Motorcycle riding is exhilarating, yet it demands a serious approach and honed skills.
While it can be thrilling for newcomers, motorcycle driving can easily foster detrimental habits.
These habits impede skill advancement and heighten the risk of accidents. Hence, novice riders must comprehend and steer clear of these harmful practices.
1. Neglecting Safety Equipment
One of the most prevalent habits among novice motorcycle riders is disregarding safety gear. When riding, it's paramount to don safety equipment like helmets, gloves, and knee pads.
Nonetheless, some beginners may opt out due to the perceived inconvenience or discomfort. This escalates the risk of injury and can lead to grave consequences.
2. Overlooking Road Signs
A common oversight among new riders is neglecting road signs. While we all study road signs during the driver's license test, many riders fail to heed them on the road.
Road signs offer indispensable and vital information for every rider, and road information gets updated as times evolve. Hence, it's crucial to familiarize oneself with road signs to a certain extent.
3. Failing to Maintain Safe Distances Between Vehicles
Maintaining a safe distance is easily overlooked by all. Given the shorter distance between motorcycles, it's advisable to maintain at least a 20-meter gap from the vehicle in front.
Of course, veterans may judge based on their braking proficiency, road conditions, and vehicle speed, but for novices, it's essential to refrain from tailgating.
Riding too close to the vehicle in front leaves little room for reaction in unexpected scenarios, significantly increasing the likelihood of accidents. Therefore, it's imperative to cultivate good habits from the outset and maintain an appropriate distance from other vehicles.
4. Ignoring Riding Fatigue
Extended periods of riding can induce fatigue, impairing the rider's judgment and reflexes. However, some novices may disregard fatigue and persist in riding.
Apart from heightening the accident risk, this behavior can cause physical harm. Hence, novices should learn to schedule their riding time sensibly and take breaks when fatigue sets in.
5. Lack of Awareness of Surrounding Environment
Maintaining situational awareness is crucial when riding a motorcycle. However, some novices become so absorbed in motorcycle operations that they lose sight of their surroundings.
Besides elevating the risk of collisions with other vehicles and pedestrians, this behavior can have severe consequences. Therefore, novices should train to remain alert and scan their surroundings for safe riding.
6. Constantly Glancing at the Instrument Panel
A common error among novice riders is frequently glancing at the instrument panel. Nervousness or unfamiliarity with vehicle operation prompts many novices to check their speed or gear while on the road constantly.
This is a hazardous mistake. Some riders even habitually check navigation on their mobile phones while riding; regardless of whether riding or driving, attention should always be paid to the road conditions.
In motorcycle driving, cultivating good habits is paramount. For novice riders, steering clear of the aforementioned bad habits and continuously enhancing their driving skills is pivotal for ensuring safety.
Hence, novices should approach motorcycle riding earnestly, persistently learn, and strive for improvement to safeguard themselves and others on the road.