May Is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month: Tips for Safer Riding in Tennessee

Every day on the road, you should be aware of motorcycles sharing the highways, byways, and residential streets. May is Motorcycle Awareness Month, so it is worth looking at what everyone can do to keep all drivers safe on the roadways. A Mount Juliet motorcycle accident lawyer from The Law Offices of Christopher Eads, PLLC, can help you with a claim.

Know the Helmet Laws

As a motorcycle rider, you must wear a helmet for safety while operating your bike. That helmet must meet the US Department of Transportation guidelines for safety and that means that you must ensure it is properly fitted to your health.

Other Protective Gear

Motorcycle riders are also required under the law to wear eye protection. In some situations, your motorcycle helmet will incorporate this, in which case secondary glasses are unnecessary. This rule is also limited if your motorcycle has a windshield in place. Then, you do not need eye protection (but you do need to continue wearing a helmet).

You can also minimize risks to yourself by wearing protective clothing and proper shoes. These can help you minimize the risk of injury while ensuring you get the support you need if you tumble off the bike.

Know What Your Requirements Are for Your Bike

The Tennessee motorcycle laws also include several requirements for your bike. For example, you must have daytime running headlights under the law. In addition to this, you must have a muffler on your bike, and no cutouts are allowed under the law.

In addition to this, you must have a rearview mirror on your bike. You also must have footrests that are securely attached to the bike. You need to be able to use them while driving the motorcycle.

Motorcycle Riders and Other Passengers

In most cases, you can have another rider with you on your bike, but there are a few things you need to know. First, that rider must be wearing a helmet. It protects you and them. Your bike must have footrests and a designated passenger seat for the person to sit on. If it does not, that person may not be able to operate.

What to Remember

There are a few more things you can do to keep yourself safe on the roadways:

• Make sure you always check your blind spots by turning your head.
• Make sure that you know that lane splitting is not legal in Tennessee. That means that you cannot drive between cars.
• Remember that not all helmets are designed to be protective enough, but it could matter significantly.
• Always ride with the approved license.

In these situations, you can empower yourself to minimize risk by being aware of your surroundings and ensuring you have a bike in good working order. This May, ensure you help others on the road with you by knowing how to stay safe.