I’m personally injury attorney Mike Lombardi. To lay down your bike or not, that is the question.
Times Have Changed
In general, laying down your bike to avoid an accident is not a good idea. A better alternative is keeping your escape route options in play. Years ago, motorcycle safety courses taught and promoted laying down your bike to avoid an accident. Although the biker could almost always be assured of injury and motorcycle damage, the hat was in the day when motorcycle brakes weren’t what they are today. Today’s motorcycles have better conventional brakes or have antilock brakes. They have tires with better traction and the bikes are much easier to maneuver to get out of the way of a potential accident.
Always Ride Safe
Most experienced bikers think that if you lay down your bike, you aren’t riding safely, to begin with. If you are driving defensively, you should almost never have to do it. Staying aware of all the traffic around you, having proper lane position, keeping safe distances and always having an escape route are all the ways avoid a motorcycle wreck without having to lay down your bike.
Bike Maintenance
Good bike maintenance is also important. You want a bike that responds quickly and appropriately to any evasive or breaking measures you may have to take to avoid a distracted driver or one that just doesn’t see you. So, check your wear and tear on your tires and your brakes on a regular basis. Once your bike is on its side, you’ve lost all control of it. Upright, you have traction; on its side, you have none. Friction between your ties and road is greater than between plastic steel and chrome in the road.
Be Careful
If you make the decision to lay down your bike, you are inviting physical injuries like road rash, head and neck injuries, and broken bones. There may be circumstances where laying down your bike is absolutely necessary, but truly, prevention and an eye to safety are the keys to not having to use this technique.
Unfortunately, no matter how responsibly you drive motorcycle accidents do happen. If you’ve been injured in a motorcycle accident, that wasn’t your fault, please give me a call or text me at Michael Lombardi Injury Attorneys so we can discuss your case and answer any questions you may have.
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