Staggeringly, 49 percent of motorcycle crashes aren’t the fault of the rider. Intersections are particularly dangerous: they’re by far the most common crash site for scooters and motorcycles of 125cc or less, and chances are the driver will say something like, “I just didn’t see you!” as you’re packed into the ambulance.
The #1 rule is “be seen”:
- Buying a scooter? Fire-engine red, lightning blue and shamrock green may be safer colour schemes than black, silver or white.
- Keep your headlights on whenever you’re riding – even during the day. This is compulsory from 1 November 2009.
- Wearing a brightly coloured helmet and clothes is safest. But even wearing a white or light-coloured helmet (rather than a black one) reduces the risk of an accident by 24 percent.
- Wearing reflective or fluorescent clothing reduces your accident risk by 37 percent.
What you wear, how you ride, and the condition of your scooter are the three main things under your control that can keep you safe.
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