The rain makes pavement slick, and that can increase stopping distances. A car that slides, even a small amount, is more likely to get in an accident.
Rain is especially dangerous for motorcycle riders. When a bike slips or slides, it may not just be a momentary jolt like it would in a car. It can cause the bike to go completely out of control or overturn.
Riders who choose to go out in the rain — or who get caught in it — can protect themselves by driving carefully and always keeping a good stopping distance between them and the next car on the road. Unfortunately, not all car drivers do the same thing. If someone is tailgating, should you tell them to back off?
Below are three ways that riders do so:
- Reach your arm back behind your body and move it back and forth in a controlled motion.
- Hold your hand up behind you and extend your arm toward the car. Then bring it back in and extend it again, as if you’re pushing that car back.
- Simply hold your hand up, palm out, like a traffic officer telling a car to stop.
The problem is that many drivers are used to following far too close, and they think it is normal, even in the rain. They do not realize that it can be deadly for someone on a motorcycle, when even a foot or two of stopping distance means everything.
If a tailgating driver causes an accident and you suffer serious injuries, make sure you know what legal rights you have to financial compensation.
Source: Motorcycle.com, “Motorcycle Riding In The Rain And Wind,” Jeff Cobb, accessed April 20, 2018