7 Proven Tips to Improve Night Riding Safety

Do you find yourself riding in the dark quite often? For many professionals, using a motorcycle to commute to office, riding after sunset is a common occurrence, and that means you need to have the proper understanding of safety especially in dark conditions. Here 7 proven tips to improve night riding safety that will help in reducing the risk of an accident irrespective of whether you are commuting to work, or going on a long-distance road trip.  

Invest in a dual-visor helmet 

The most useful investment that you can make to write safely at night is to get a double visor helmet. Make sure that it has a clear visor which will allow you to see even in dark conditions and a tinted visor that will keep your eyes protected even in bright glary conditions during the day. If you have a helmet that does not have a clear visor, consider replacing it with a brand-new premium two-wheeler helmet with dual visor. The cost of premium helmets with well visors do not differ a lot from single wiser options, and the value for money they provide is much more in comparison.  

Reduce fogging 

While riding in cold and conditions come up the visors can fog up because of the temperature difference between the internal part of the visor from that of the external ambient temperature. There are many ways to get around this problem. The most efficient is definitely investing in a Pinlock® visor helmet that prevents the problem of fogging completely. But, if you already have a premium helmet and you do not want to invest in another one right now, you can make yourself simple hacks and techniques that will deal with the problem efficiently. Applying a little bit of toothpaste on the internal side of the visor can help greatly. You can also use other industrial chemical products that prevent the formation of condensation on the surface of a helmet visor.  

Keep the rear-view mirrors clean 

Situational awareness is greatly reduced while riding in the dark because off the absence of a universal light source. In such conditions, it becomes even more important to have greater situational awareness of things happening around you. One of the most useful things to help you in the process is a pair of rear-view mirrors. Do not remove the rear-view mirrors, and make sure to keep them clean. While beginning your ride in the dark, wipe the rear-view mirrors with a soft cotton cloth to remove dirt or deposition on the surface of the rear-view mirrors so that you can see clearly behind you and take necessary safety measures while changing lanes, or overtaking a vehicle in front of you.  

Don’t ride with a fatigued mind 

Do you feel fatigue and tired after these activities? You need to be completely aware of everything happening around you in order to ride safely, especially in the dark. If you find yourself second guessing your mental status after a long day in the office, keep the motorcycle parked safely at the office, and take a cab home. The other way around it is to have a cup of coffee or tea allow your mind to be relax then refreshed before beginning the ride. Never make the mistake of riding a motorcycle with a tired mind because you might need to make split second decisions and that won't be possible on a tired mind.  

Be more defensive than usual 

Defensive driving can save your life. The primary difference between experience riders and notice riders is that experience riders never right aggressively. Always make sure to be on the safe side while making overtakes come and ever get into the racing mindset all compete with anybody even if they challenge you with an aggressive overtake. Keep an eye out for every vehicle on the road and try to get out of trouble even before it happens. For that you will have to sharpen your situational awareness, and keep an eye on everything even if it is the slightest bit out of order.   

Avoid highspeed lanes 

It might be good to stay away from the high-speed lanes on the motorway when you are riding in the dark. Right within the speed limits, and stay in the slow Lane until you find a section with low traffic on the road. Vehicles playing on the high-speed lanes at night may not be able to spot you and it might not be possible for them to break in time if they don't see where you are.  

Be extra visible  

Make sure that you are ample visible to other motorists on the road stop very brightly colored riding jacket, and invest in a premium branded full-face helmet that can be easily seen even in dark conditions. You can also by roll of reflective tape and put it on the helmet on the real side, as well as on other surfaces of your motorcycle so that any incident light from headlights makes you light up brightly on the road.