The summer is a great time to take out your bike for a spin in San Diego and surrounding California areas but falling for one of these safety myths could put you at greater risk of being injured in an accident. Make sure you don’t fall for these mistaken beliefs about motorcycle safety:

  • Lay down the bike in the event of a crash. If you brake effectively, you could help yourself far more than sliding down the road on your body. You could be thrown over a car you collide with and sustain other severe injuries if you try to lay down your bike while you’re still on it.
  • Use loud pipes to help save lives. The annoying and loud noise often caused by having loud pipes on your bike doesn’t necessarily prevent accidents. Bikes with modified exhaust systems actually crash more often than those with stock pipes do.
  • It’s safe to skip your helmet because it breaks your neck. Although it might seem like putting more weight on the end of your neck could put you at greater risk of being injured when thrown off the bike, the energy absorbing qualities of your motorcycle helmet can help to absorb the energy that ultimately breaks your neck in a crash. Studies have indicated that those individuals wearing helmets on their bikes actually sustain fewer neck injuries when they crash.
  • One beer won’t hurt. Anytime that you drink and drive and get behind the wheel of a car or on any vehicle, you put yourself and others at risk of severe injuries. It’s better to call another form of transportation in the event that you have been drinking and driving.

Already injured? If someone else didn’t take motorcycle safety seriously, you may have grounds for a claim. Reach out to a personal injury attorney to learn more about your rights.