5 DEADLY HABITS MOTORCYCLISTS SHOULD NOT HAVE
Humans are creatures of habit and we have probably developed some from the time we began riding.
There are of course good habits and bad habit, and then there are those that impede our progress to being better riders.
- Unable to control emotions
Letting our emotions run rampant can bring about serious consequences. It may be true that the driver who cut us off without signaling was wrong but showing our displeasure may result in us being knocked off our bikes, instead. Keep in mind that we motorcyclists are always at the losing end, regardless of whose fault it was. Additionally, all that stress will manifest itself as hypertension or psychological duress sooner or later. So, take a deep breath, let it go and enjoy the ride.
- Being impulsive
Certain people, including riders, just could not control their urges to go fast everywhere. Riding fast is not wrong if done in the correct place at the correct speed.
Bikes are fun and that fun is easily accessible, but they must be enjoyed responsibly. Do not think you can just keep throwing your bike into every corner you see or blast through every gap there is without getting hurt eventually.
- Being complacent
The majority of accidents occur in the vicinity of one’s home or workplace or on familiar routes. This is because familiarity breeds contempt. We start to lose focus when complacency takes hold. A lot can and do happen on public roads. For example, a contractor could dig up a stretch of road and not cover it back up the night before. So, stay focused as soon as you ride out and all the way to your destination.
- Not respecting traffic laws
While it is true that many road users break the law all the time, we ourselves should refrain from doing so. For example, so many motorcyclists run the red light in Malaysia that it would seem to be breaking the law to wait for the green light. Traffic laws were designed to keep us safe, regardless of how ludicrous they appear to be. Just obey and live!
- Unwilling to learn or improve
We should always be critical of our riding abilities in order to be better riders. Pros do it to win races. We, on the other hand, need to survive. It does not matter what kind or size of bike we ride. Improving our skills means we can be proactive and avoid trouble, instead of always blaming others (the favorite habit among Malaysians), or worse.