If you have ever seen a televised motorcycle race, you may be astounded at how often the riders get up and walk away from a high-speed crash. Motor racing circuits are designed to be as safe as possible. The professional riders you see are wearing the top of the line safety clothing designed to slide across the smooth track surface, dissipating the force of the crash as they go.
If you have ever seen a motorcycle accident on the street, you will know it is a very different story. Most people on bikes do not have the same level of protective clothing. The road surface is not as smooth as a racetrack, and there are many obstacles to hit. Other vehicles are often coming in various directions and could hit a rider after they come off the bike. Despite going at much slower speeds than the professional racers, someone riding on the road has a far higher chance of being seriously injured or killed in a motorcycle accident than a professional on a track.
In the same way that parents expect an older child to act with caution around their younger sibling, drivers of cars or larger vehicles must take extra care around motorcyclists. If the two collide, the smaller one will come off worse.
Drivers should make an extra effort to watch out for motorcycles, which can be hard to see due to their small size and width. Many drivers involved in motorcycle collisions claim they did not spot the rider. If drivers always checked their mirrors twice before maneuvring, it would save many lives. Giving themselves two opportunities to notice a bike, not just one, could be the difference between life and death for the motorcyclist.
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