Motorcycle Safety Tip

• Think ahead. Be Protected
  To stay safe, you need complete control of your motorcycle and the best protective gear.. Next time you’re heading for the highway, keep in mind these helpful motorcycle safety tips.
• Use Safety Gear
  Most of our motorcycle insurance policies will cover up to $3,000 in custom parts and equipment. When you purchase new leathers or safety equipment or customize your bike, contact us so we can update your limits.
• Wear a Helmet
  According to studies shown by our carriers a motorcycle rider wearing a helmet is 40 percent more likely to sustain a fatal head injury in a crash than a rider without a helmet.* A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration study
  reports that “helmets saved 1,483 motorcyclists’ lives in 2009, and that 732 more could have been saved if all motorcyclists had worn helmets.”* Get the best protection for you head and eyes by buying a full-face helmet. Take extra precaution by wearing other protective gear as well: heavy leather or synthetic gloves, long pants and jacket, and over-the-ankle leather boots.
• Make sure others can see you.
  You will lose if hit by a SUV. Most often when cars and motorcycles collide it’s because the driver of the car failed to see the cyclist. With increasing SUV’s on the road it’s more important than ever to take extra steps to become more visible. Position yourself in the lane where you are most visible. Use your headlamps—both night and day—and wear yellow, red or orange jackets to make yourself easier to see.
• Complete a Safe Riding CourseAccording to found statistics by our insurance carriers we represent: one out of four motorcycle drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2009 were driving with invalid licenses.* More than 90 percent of riders involved in accidents haven’t taken a formal motorcycle driving course. Get to know your bikes capabilities, like how it performs on a curve or slick roads, and you’ll become a much safer rider. Errors like over-braking, driving too fast and under-cornering are major factors in most solo mishaps.

Most of our insurance companies offer discounts to riders who attend a Motorcycle Safety Foundation
safe riding course or are active in one of their approved groups that promote safe riding. Go the extra mile and do both. This could save up to 15 percent.

• Be smart. Ride Sober.
  Driving impaired is more deadly for cyclers than other drivers. In fact, more than half of all motorcycle deaths occur when the rider has been drinking.
  * Source: NHTSA’s 2009 Traffic Safety report on Motorcycles.