It is no secret that young students and professionals from India have a great fascination for motorcycles. Many may have relied on bikes for basic transportation in India. Riding a fancy and powerful bike is generally at the top of wish list for a college student in India. After landing in the USA, with a large selection of powerful bikes available at reasonable prices, the desire to own a bike grows by the day. The purpose of this write-up is to highlight the risks associated with riding bikes in Michigan. In Michigan, bike riding is only possible when the weather is good (about 7 to 8 months a year). Bike riding is considered to be a dangerous activity in America, especially on metro Detroit highways. The risk is higher with bad weather conditions, novice riders not familiar with the traffic patterns and also not following the speed limits. The #1 risk is that bike riders are not clearly visible to automobile and truck drivers. Most such accidents end up in fatalities. A number of Government studies and hospital data is available to support the risks associated with bikes.
Think hard about you and your family before deciding to own and ride a motorcycle. If you still decide to own and ride a bike, take into consideration the following points:
- Recreation riding only – You pick the ideal conditions for riding bikes. Good weather and low traffic state highways (as opposed to the interstate freeways). Also, avoid bad roads. Don’t use a bike for local commuting.
- Form or join a club so that you can ride with others as a group. Such groups are very visible to the other drivers and will allow safe distance.
- Dress appropriately. Wear leather pants and jackets. A helmet is a must even though the Michigan law does not require it.
- Follow the traffic rules. Don’t exceed the speed limit. No weaving in traffic. Use hand signals where possible.
- Only day-time bike rides. Never ride at night.
Be safe!
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