It is no big secret that driving a motorcycle comes along with a few more risks than just driving a car. In 2014, 4,586 motorcyclists died as a result of a crash and with statistics so alarmingly high, as a driver, it is crucial that you know how to keep yourself safe when you are traveling around other vehicles. Even though the basics of driving a motorcycle on the same highways as passenger vehicles may seem easy enough, there are a few safety mistakes every driver must work to avoid. Here are three of those huge safety mistakes you need to understand and work hard to avoid when you are on your motorcycle. 

Mistake: Driving behind the center of a vehicle instead of to one side or the other.  

Why? As a driver of a passenger vehicle, it is only natural to center your car or truck directly behind a vehicle traveling in front of you on the highway. However, when you are on a motorcycle, this is actually a big mistake. A driver will be less likely to see you in the center than they would if you were traveling more to one side or the other directly behind the tail lights. Even well-experienced motorcycle riders make this mistake but it's definitely one that can make an accident a bigger threat. 

Mistake: Heavily accelerating when you first jump on your bike for a ride. 

Why? No matter how familiar you are with your bike, it takes a few minutes of riding to get in tune with how your bike reacts with you on it when you first step on and take off. For this reason, it is always best to accelerate from a standstill or parked position easily and with caution. Give your reflexes time to catch up to the requirements that come along with being behind the steering bars of an open vehicle. 

Mistake: Not taking the weight of a passenger into consideration when stopping. 

Why? You may be used to your stopping power when it is just you on your motorcycle, but add the heft of another passenger (even a small one) and it will completely change your stopping power and perhaps your center of gravity. If you plan to ride with a passenger for the first time, take a few test runs on a secluded side street before heading out onto the main highways just to give yourself ample time to get adjusted.  

For further assistance, contact a local motorcylce accident attorney (click for more info).