Motorcycle Accident Safety Myth Number One

If You Are Going to Crash, Lay It Down

Some motorcycle riders think its better to lay their bike down when confronted with an imminent crash with a car. But many people disagree with this tactic. Here's why. You can scrub off much more speed before the collision and therefore be going slower at impact with effective braking than you will sliding down the road on your butt. And if you are still on the bike, you might get thrown over the car you collide with, avoiding an impact with your body. If you slide into a car while you are on the ground, you either have a hard stop against it or end up wedged under it.

The only events where being on the ground might leave you better off are: 1) on an elevated roadway where going over the guardrail will cause you to fall a long way, or 2) in that situation you see occasionally in movies, where the motorcyclist slides under a semi trailer without touching it. That's a good trick if the truck is moving.

The other tactic instead of laying the bike down or braking, is swerving out of harms way. In any event the best thing you can do is give plenty of room to other cars on the road, slow your speed as you approach an intersection, leave 3 seconds between you and any vehcle in front of you. And constantly scan for possible dangerous situations.

You may not agree with, not laying your bike down. But it is a scientific fact that you will stop faster by braking than by sliding on the ground. I certainly don't fault anyone who lays their bike down when a car violates the biker's right of way. Certainly no biker should be penalized for doing so.

If you are in an accident and are injured and the car driver's insurance company is trying to pay you less because you laid your bike down don't go for that.
by Cincinnati Ohio motorcycle injury attorney Anthony Castelli http://www.castellilaw.com