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Important Motorcycle Safety Tips for Pillion Riders

Explore these essential safety tips for pillion riders to make every ride enjoyable and secure.

  • 21 Dec 2018
  • 3 min read
  • 238 views

Wear proper gear and be extra responsible while riding with a pillion

Riding a motorcycle is fun, and more so when you have a co-rider or a pillion with you to share the frenzy and ecstasy of biking. However, it’s also very important to ensure the safety of your co-rider as well as your own, before you go hopping from one place to another on your bike. Hence, before you tell your friend or a loved one to take the back-seat of your bike, it’s prudent to educate your pillion rider about few motorcycle safety tips. Government has made motor insurance compulsory while driving and before going on any log drive insured with a two wheeler insurance policy. Here are some of the ways to ensure that riding is enjoyable as well as safe for both of you:

Ask the pillion to wear full protective gear

Just like the rider, wearing full protective gear is equally important for the pillion. Ideally, it should include an ISI-certified helmet, eye-protection goggles, sturdy pants, jackets, fully closed footwear, and gloves. Don’t forget to layer it up with additional protective equipment and thermals to combat fog and wind chill during the winter season.

Give a pre-ride briefing to the co-rider

Before he or she gets on the bike, it’s very important for your pillion rider to know about the essentials of the motorcycle. So, point out the parts of the motorcycle that can burn or pinch. Tell him/her about how to sit, where to rest the feet and what to hold while the bike is in motion. Help them relax by explaining that the bike can lean while taking a turn and there’s no reason to panic. Also, brief them about other important pre-ride instructions and precautions.

Tell the pillion to wait for your signal before mounting/dismounting

It’s very important to let your co-rider know that he or she should wait for your signal before mounting or dismounting from the bike. If he/she tries to dismount without waiting for your permission, it may disrupt the balance of the bike and both of you may end up on the floor. So, it’s prudent to keep both your legs on the floor and ensure you’re properly balanced before signaling your pillion to get on or off the bike.

Ask your pillion to hold on tightly

You need to instruct your pillion to hold on to either you or the bike’s grabrail all the time while you both are riding on it. This will give him/her the feeling of added security and prevent him/her from sliding every time you accelerate or apply the brakes. In case your bike does not have a grabrail, you can consider a pillion safety belt which clips around the rider’s waist and has molded plastic handles which the pillion rider can hold on to.

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Use the brakes and throttle softly

While you’re riding with a pillion, it’s very important to drive responsibly. Braking hard makes the pillion rider feel uncomfortable and he/she may end up with a strong thrust towards you. Therefore, try to use the brakes as little as possible, and apply it very gently when you’ve to do it.

The same is also true for accelerating the motorcycle. Your pillion may experience the backward thrust and may even fall from the motorcycle if you accelerate hard. So, try to increase the speed gradually and ask the co-rider to grab the seat-rails tightly.

Take extra care with bumpers and pits on the road

You should try to be as smooth as possible in your ride, especially when you are carrying a pillion on the back seat. Look as far ahead on the road as possible, to avoid pits and bumpers lying ahead in your way. Even if there’s no avoiding them, try to be as slow and smooth as you can to ensure a pleasant and safe ride for your co-passenger. Also, ensure that you’re not leaning too much on the sides while taking turns and cut the corner smoothly.

Do not communicate much while you are riding

It’s important to not talk much while you are riding. It can take away your focus from the road, which may result in a tragedy. In case you or your co-rider need to discuss something that requires an urgent attention, you should park your vehicle by the side of the road and have a talk.

While it’s prudent to follow these tips to ensure a memorable and pleasure filled ride for you as well as your partner, you also need to be adequately equipped to tackle any unwanted scenario that may arise anytime. Always carry a tool box and the first aid kit in your motorcycle. Remember, it’s illegal to drive without a Motor Insurance policy or in your case, a two wheeler insurance policy. So, check your two-wheeler insurance plan to ensure adequate security of you and your vehicle before setting off on a long-distance ride with your loved one.

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