What Is A Safe Distance When Traveling Behind a Motorcycle

What Is A Safe Distance When Traveling Behind a Motorcycle?

by

Jeffrey
February 18, 2022
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Motorcycles are a thrilling and exciting form of transportation. They make for great thrill rides, whether you’re chasing the wind or cruising to the beach.

However, if you’re not careful, motorcyclists can also be a disaster waiting to happen. Motorcyclists have an increased risk of being in an accident with another vehicle.

Considering that they travel at speeds up to 85 miles per hour, it’s important to know how close you need to be behind a motorcycle before it becomes unsafe. Here are some quick tips on how much space is considered safe when traveling behind a motorcycle.

Introduction

Safe distance behind the motorcycle

It’s important to follow these tips in order to be safe behind a motorcycle. But how close is too close? If you’re following too closely, you could end up getting into an accident with the vehicle.

You’ll also be around less distance from cars and other motorcycles that are driving behind the motorcycle. These tips can help you stay safe and stay out of trouble when traveling behind a motorcycle.

When it comes to traveling safely behind a motorcycle, there needs to be enough distance for the motorcyclist to stop without hitting anything in case of an emergency.

The closer you get, the more likely your chances of getting into an accident with another vehicle or with the vehicle itself. When driving behind someone on a motorcycle, make sure that there are three feet between your car and the bike at all times.

But don’t forget about bicycles! They need four feet of space as well.

What do motorcyclists look for when they’re driving?

What Is A Safe Distance When Traveling Behind a Motorcycle

To understand how much space is considered safe when traveling behind a motorcycle, you have to first understand what motorcyclists are looking for. Motorcyclists want to maintain a safe distance.

That means they want to be able to stop in an emergency, avoid pedestrians and other vehicles, and maintain speed while making turns.  They also want to be able to see as much as possible without having their vision blocked by the rider in front of them. 

The best way to ensure these options are available is by maintaining enough space so that the rider can brake without crashing into anything.

The average distance between two motorcycles should be no less than three feet and no more than eight feet. This allows the motorcyclist plenty of space if they need to stop suddenly or if they need to make a turn, while still creating a comfortable space for both riders.

What is a safe distance to travel behind a motorcycle?

What Is A Safe Distance When Traveling Behind a Motorcycle

Drivers of motorcycles need to be aware that when traveling behind a motorcycle, their distance from the motorcycle will vary.

Motorcyclists tend to travel close to the vehicle in front of them because they’re often driving at high speeds and have reduced visibility.

They also have difficulty seeing pedestrians and other vehicles, so they are forced to drive closer together than drivers of other vehicles. 

When following a motorcycle, you should be as close as possible without being unsafe in order to provide plenty of time to react if necessary.

One safe practice when following another vehicle is allowing 1 second between each passing car or bike. This way, if there’s an emergency stop or an accident, you’ll still be able to react quickly enough before reaching the vehicle with which you’re following.

A good rule of thumb for traveling behind a motorcycle is to leave 1 second between your car and the motorcycle in front of it for every 15 miles per hour that the motorcycle travels.

In general, this means leaving 3 seconds between your car and the motorcycle in front of it when traveling at 60 mph, 5 seconds when traveling at 70 mph, and 6 seconds when traveling at 80 mph. 

If you want more specific guidelines on how much space is considered safe while traveling behind a motorcyclist, consult with your state laws on how much clearance is needed between vehicles (in some states there may not be any law).

How close to the motorcycle should you be when you’re following it?

How close to the motorcycle should you be when youre following it

If you’re following a motorcycle on the road, it’s important to know how close you need to be behind it. According to the Department of Transportation, the recommended safe distance between a motorcyclist and a car is three seconds or less.

This means that if you’re following at a distance of 3 seconds or less, you’re in compliance with the law. You don’t have to worry about getting too close.

Also, keep in mind that this recommendation only applies to cars and not trucks or other large vehicles. Drivers of larger vehicles are encouraged to pull away from motorcycles as soon as possible so as not to increase any risk of injury.

The distance you need to stay behind a motorcycle is dependent on the speed of the bike. Remember, a motorcycle travels at speeds up to 85 miles per hour, and allows for complete control of the vehicle.

If you’re traveling at speeds of more than 60 miles per hour, you’ll need about 4 feet between yourself and the motorcycle. If you’re traveling below 60 miles per hour, you’ll need about 6 feet between yourself and the motorcycle.

This can vary from person to person depending on their size and weight.

What are the risks of following too closely behind a motorcycle?

If you’re following too closely behind a motorcycle, it can drastically increase the risk of an accident. This increases the amount of time it takes for the motorcycle to stop and decreases the motorcycle’s reaction time.

This makes the car driver less likely to be in control of his or her vehicle when a collision happens. When following too closely, drivers also have a difficult time seeing what is going on around them. Often, this results in accidents with other vehicles or pedestrians.

Conclusion

When traveling behind a motorcycle, there are a few important things you should know. While driving, motorcyclists look for cars, bicycles, and pedestrians, who are the most common causes of accidents between motorcycles and cars.

To avoid these risks, motorcyclists attempt to maintain a safe distance from other vehicles. Learn what a safe distance is and how to travel behind motorcycles.

Jeffrey

Jeffrey Bryce is an experienced motorcycle rider with years of experience caring for motorcycles. His natural fondness for motorcycles have made him come up with LetsGoForARide.com, which is dedicated to answering and teaching you how to care for your bike with the care it requires. LetsGoForARide is the one of his important lifework in reaching out to communities of motorcycle enthusiasts on how to take care of their bike and choosing the correct spare part.