Wing mirrors: vital equipment
Most people think it's easy to ride a motorbike if you know how to ride a bicycle. While the basic concept of balancing on two wheels is a common link between riding a bicycle and a motorcycle, the differences stop there with respect to how you ride a motorbike.
Motorbikes are heavy, and modern bikes weigh quite a bit, and aren't as easily maneuverable as bicycles. Which is why rear-view mirrors are not included on a bicycle.
Modern bike owners are prone to customisation, and we have seen quite a few bikes on Dhaka streets with mirror deletes, or smaller mirrors than standard. They may look sleeker, but this poses a huge risk out on the road, especially on the busy intersections of Dhaka.
So leave your ideas of bicycle riding, and devote some practice to instinctively checking the rearview mirrors right before making a turn or a lane change. The head movement should be near automatic, in fact.
Lane changes for bikers involve a good bit of body movement and control, which already exerts a fair amount of pressure on your body. It’s good advice to take note of the “Objects in the mirror can be closer than they appear” printed on the mirror itself, and steer clear of tight lane changes when a car is coming up behind you. This is to avoid any sudden changes in direction, which can end with you on the ground and your bike on it’s side.
As long as you treat the mirrors as the most vital instrument you use while riding, riding a motorcycle can be made a lot more safe.
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