Motorcycles are dangerous. They require skill and concentration to operate correctly. Unfortunately, many riders make deadly mistakes that can lead to serious injury or death. We will discuss three of the deadliest motorcycle mistakes you can make. So here we go.

FIRST DEADLY MISTAKE YOU CAN MAKE ON A MOTORCYCLE – Assuming that you have the right of way.

The first mistake that I feel is one of the most deadly mistakes you can make on a motorcycle is assuming you have the right of way at an intersection. Were you aware that most fatal motorcycle accidents involving another car happen at intersections? And it’s usually the car driver’s fault.

They fail to see the motorcycle, and they make a left-hand turn in front of the motorcyclist, failing to yield the right of way. Does it matter if you’re on a motorcycle who’s at fault in the accident? If the motorcyclist dies in a car accident, does it make a difference?

If an apologetic car driver comes to my funeral, the end result is the same as riders. We need to approach every intersection first with a question and then an answer. 

The question is, what if:

• What if that car pulls out in front of me and makes a left-hand turn? 
• What if the car in front of me slams on its brake?
• What if the other drivers fail to yield the right of way and run the red light? 
• What if I need to use emergency braking or need to swerve? 

I will increase my following distance, or I will cover my front brake to Quicken my stopping time. Take responsibility for your own protection at intersections, and it will pay you back.

SECOND DEADLY MISTAKE YOU CAN MAKE ON A MOTORCYCLE – Not enough following distance.

The second mistake. I see motorcycle riders making all the time in their following distance. Having time and distance, time and space on a motorcycle will save your life. A motorcycle is riding down the highway at 100 km per hour, directly behind an SUV in front of them, traveling at the same speed. The motorcyclist is totally blind to what’s going on in the roadway ahead of them. Not having time and space on a motorcycle is just a recipe for a crash. How many times have you been driving in your car and you hit a large chunk of rubber that’s come off an 18 Wheeler or a big pothole or an unlucky animal?

That’s running the roadway. If you think hard about it, you can probably come up with multiple incidents where that’s happened, but in a car, they’re not nearly as memorable because you just continue driving on. Whereas if you hit the same thing on a motorcycle, it’s likely to cause an accident. And those are generally unforgettable.

So establish a good following distance, a minimum of three seconds between you and the vehicle in front of you on good-conditioned days, uh, with pavements in good shape for an experienced writer. And know that about four seconds out in front of you is the distance that it’s gonna take for you to get that motorcycle to complete stop.

If you need to, in addition, keep your head and eyes up all the time. Looking as far down the road, as you can see, that’s gonna help give you the time and the space to make adjustments on your motorcycle to road conditions, rather than having to make a reaction at the last second. 

THIRD DEADLY MISTAKE YOU CAN MAKE ON A MOTORCYCLE –  Rushing your corner.

Most single-vehicle motorcycle accidents and fatalities happen on corners. And it’s usually because the rider comes in too hot or too fast for their skill level or something unexpected happens in the curve that causes them to go down. They run wide and they hit obstacles outside of the curve. 

I love watching some of the best riders in the world get around the track as fast as they possibly can. When they approach a corner, they’re either breaking or accelerating the whole time through the corner. They’re usually breaking through the first half of that corner. And then as soon as they’re off the brakes, they’re back on the throttle at the apex, trying to get out of the corner as fast as they.

The goal is to make that corner as fast as I can leaving no time or traction and reserve the difference between Moto GP rider and rider on the street is Moto. GP riders are in a controlled environment. There’s no cross traffic. There are no crazed squirrels rued in the roadway. There are no rocks and gravel in the corner.

And when they slide off the motorcycle, they have a nice big grassy area on the outside of the track to slide. On the street. If you make a mistake in a corner and lose traction, you’re gonna slide into oncoming traffic park, benches road signs, and curbs all on the side of the road. There is no room for error on the street.

So instead of trying to get around the corner, as quick as you can,  leave some traction and some clearance in reserve for those unexpected moments on the street, there is no shiny trophy at the end of your ride, but there is pride in knowing how to skillfully handle your motorcycle, the wind in your face, and the enjoyment of negotiating the world on two wheels.

And while these three mistakes in no way encompass all the mistakes that you can make on a motorcycle, they are three of the most dangerous.