Safe Distance When Traveling Behind A Motorcycle: 5 Tips To Avoid Collision

When driving on a busy road, it is crucial to follow some rules to ensure proper safety. Not only about your own safety but also the safety of other people on the road.

Otherwise, you can fall into collisions, especially when traveling behind a motorcycle. This is because motorcycles can stop or move quicker than other vehicles, which poses a risk of collision.

In that case, professionals recommend maintaining a distance of at least 4-seconds behind the motorcycle. This extra room and time will help you react if riders brake suddenly or fall off the motorcycle.

Read the entire context to know more precautions to ensure maximum safety while driving a vehicle.

Why Should You Keep Safe Distance when Traveling Behind a Motorcycle?

Safety should be the prime concern when driving vehicles. In that case, you have to always be aware when traveling on a road full of vehicles, especially motorcycles. This is because motorcyclists like to ride close to other vehicles to make different maneuvers.

Safe Distance When Traveling Behind A Motorcycle 5 Tips To Avoid Collision

As they ride at high speeds, which reduces visibility, causing limitations in seeing pedestrians and other vehicles. So, you may not get enough time and space to react when following a motorcycle.

As a result, you will fall into collisions with the motorcycle. To avoid such collisions, you have to stay a safe distance when you’re driving behind the motorcycle. This also helps to react quickly if the riders fall or drop their motorcycles.

How Far Should You Travel Behind Motorcycles

Unlike vehicles, motorcycles operate differently. Motorcycles run quickly and break more frequently than other vehicles, which makes them easy to go through places a vehicle cannot go.

How Far Should You Travel Behind Motorcycles

So, if you don’t keep a safe distance, there is a high chance of making a collision with your vehicle. In that situation, a question may arise in your mind: what is the safe distance when traveling behind a motorcycle?

Well, in good weather, it is better to keep a distance of four seconds behind the motorcycle. If the weather conditions are bad, you have to make a space of four to twelve seconds far away from a motorcycle.

Remember, you should keep more distance when traveling behind a motorcycle than other vehicles on the road.

Tips to Follow when Traveling Behind a Motorcycle

Drivers are always a little nervous about being close to motorcycles, as they are difficult to see. A simple mistake can cause a motorcycle accident and cause serious injuries.

Tips to Follow when Traveling Behind a Motorcycle

In such a situation, you can reduce the risk of accidents by following some simple tips when traveling behind a motorcycle. The tips are as follows:

Maintain Additional Space

While driving, you should give a vehicle around 2 seconds’ space that’s in front of you to avoid collisions. The situation is slightly different when traveling behind a motorcycle. In that case, you have to make about a 4-second distance for motorcycles. This distance between the motorcycle and your vehicle will keep both of you safe.

Check Your Blind Spot

In freeway traveling, it is important to check your blind spots.  You can see these areas directly or through a rearview mirror. If you don’t pay attention, blind spots will cause collisions, crashes, and serious accidents. So, when you know a motorcycle is in the vicinity, give a deep look to avoid accidents.

Aware About Weather

Traveling in bad weather is very dangerous, so drivers need to be careful when following other vehicles. Moreover, motorcyclists suffer more difficulties such as difficulty in movement and visual impairment. Besides, motorcycles are more likely to slip on wet surfaces. So, more caution is required if you want to follow a motorcycle.

Careful When Passing

Driving a vehicle creates a lot of side wind that can only be felt by opening the window and putting your hand out. When you speed up the vehicle, the air pressure will increase. Unlike vehicles, motorcycles are more vulnerable to being pushed by that wind. So, you should avoid passing motorcycles at high speeds.

Be In Lanes

A motorcycle rider has the same right to full use of lanes as a car driver. You can’t use half of their lane while driving a vehicle. According to traffic laws, you should only travel in one lane. Vehicles and motorcycles can’t be in the same lane and close to each other to avoid any accidents.

How to Find the Safe Distance when Traveling Behind a Motorcycle?

Finding a safe distance when traveling behind a motorcycle is not so difficult. Following the process described below, you can easily make enough space for a motorcycle.

  • First, choose a marker and start counting the seconds when the rear end of the motorcycle moves.
  • Drive your car at such a speed that the front end of your car reaches the same marker in 4 seconds.
  • If you only count down to a second or two to reach that marker, again choose a marker.
  • Slow your car down and allow more distance so that you can reach that marker within 4 seconds.

What Happens if You Don’t Keep a Safe Distance when Traveling Behind a Motorcycle?

An accident is a nightmare for any driver, which not only puts the driver in a dangerous situation but also endangers others. So, if you don’t keep a safe distance when traveling behind a motorcycle, there is a chance you may fall in the accidents mentioned below.

Rear-End Vehicle Collision

This collision mainly happens when drivers follow too closely. In that collision, the vehicle and motorcycle get damaged, like headlights broken (motorcycle), bump scratches (vehicle). Besides, there is a chance the motorcycle rider will get severe injuries, especially if you don’t wear protective gear.

Lane Switching Crashes

Lane switching crashes are considered a critical type of collision, sometimes leading to significant injuries and damage. This collision typically happens when a vehicle and motorcycle are heading in the same direction at the same time. If the collision happens on a busy highway, it will become dangerous.

Read Also: Can I Ride Alone With A Motorcycle Permit?

Conclusion

Motorcycle riders are vulnerable to accidents involving drivers of cars, as they are entirely exposed. In that case, you should pay attention to some crucial factors, especially when traveling behind a motorcycle.

However, you may have figured out which things you have to follow after reading this context. To avoid collisions, you have to keep a safe distance between your vehicle and a motorcycle.

In that case, you can stay 4 seconds away from a motorcycle to avoid collisions. Apart from a safe distance, it is also important to check blind spots, weather conditions, and so on.

Ryan Walker

Ryan Walker

Hi, I'm Ryan Walker, the chief editor and the founder of this site, Motoable. I’m a bike rider, and I’ve been riding motorbikes for almost thirty-five years. I worked for a renowned motorbike accessories manufacturing company for twelve years as a quality in charge.Later, I start my own business where I sell different bike accessories and safety gear for motorbikes. I created this site Motoable to share my experience with other bikers who are new to this field and don’t have adequate knowledge about motorbikes and their accessories.

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