If you love motorcycles, you know there are few pleasures greater than sailing unfettered through the countryside on a clear day, apart from following a smoky headlight along a dark highway beneath a starry sky. Many bikers would argue our state, with the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, is motorcycle heaven.
Riding along, you notice and acknowledge every other biker you see as part of a unique fraternity. Unfortunately, not everyone pays as close attention to motorcyclists as you do.
Accidents are particularly dangerous for bikes
Some bike wrecks are single-vehicle affairs: a deer forces you off the road or you hit an icy patch in the shade of a hill. Many accidents, however, and especially the most dangerous ones, involve other motor vehicles.
There are reasons to proceed slowly after a motorcycle accident
After colliding with a car, SUV or truck, there are some precautions you should follow:
- Access your physical condition carefully. Full of adrenaline, you may not even feel a broken bone.
- Allow a medical evaluation. Let the medics examine you, especially for head and neck trauma.
- Start a document collection. Keep witness statements, police reports, medical forms and prescriptions.
- Do not sign anything an insurance agent puts in front of you. This is partly because some injuries are slow to reveal themselves.
- Replace your helmet. It was only designed to take one good lick.
Take things slowly
It is tempting to get back in the saddle right away. No one who ever lived to ride can blame you. The reality is, however, the body takes time to heal and the healthier you are, the better you can enjoy the road beneath you.