Top five things motorcycle riders/drivers should never do

I’m pretty sure that one way or another, you’ve been amazed, awed, annoyed, angered or saddened by the motorcycle riders in Manila. May there be a highway, a secondary road or an “eskinita”, these riders come as if they own the streets. From the way they zig-zag or squeeze their way into traffic through the smallest of gaps and raze your car, no wonder the MMDA reported that there has been an average of 86 accidents a day involving motorcycles in Metro Manila in 2019. (and this does not include the unreported cases). Hence, here’s a list of top five things motorcycle riders/drivers should never do––unless they’re courting a fight or a tragedy.

1. They should not use their phones to check on their Waze while driving

That also means, they should not text! They should remember that they’re driving two wheels, not four- which makes them more prone to accidents.

2. They should know better than overtake on the left

They must know that they will be hardly noticed if they overtake in the left and will make them more prone to being side-swiped. Then there are also those who drive directly on the painted lines which separate the lanes of a road. This makes them prone to being sideswiped by vehicles either to their left or to their right since they occupy the middle the lanes!

3. Motorcycle riders who don’t wear a helmet

This is self-explanatory. But simply put, driving a vehicle without an actual shell to cover them or protect them, makes it a necessity for them to wear a helmet.

4. Motorcycles who overtake cars when entering or going out of parking areas

There is something called a line or a cue. The reason being, a line or a cue is to be followed. So it doesn’t really matter if a motorcycle is small or occupies less than a half space as a sedan, they should simply stay on cue when entering or going out of a parking area.

5. Motorcycle riders who carry 2 passengers or more behind them–including kids

A motorcycle is not built to carry many passengers. That’s because the two wheels can only support two people (including the driver). it doesn’t matter if the driver is an expert, the thing is, motorcycles are really built for two! If they want to carry more than the allowable, they should convert it into a tricycle.