About riding

Riding in bad weather

If it is raining, icy, snowing or foggy, conditions on the road will be more dangerous. You need to ride with extra care. Sometimes it may be safer to find shelter and wait for things to improve.

Tips for riding in bad weather

Check your motorcycle

Effective brakes, tyres, lights and steering are even more crucial in wet weather. Check your vehicle regularly to make sure they are all in good condition.

Adjust your riding

Wet, frosty or icy roads can be very slippery. You need to increase your following distance because it takes longer to stop on a slippery surface. You should increase your following distance by using the four-second rule.

Watch your visibility

Visibility (how far you can see) can be seriously reduced by rain, snow or fog. This can increase the risk of a crash. To improve visibility, keep the visor on your helmet and the mirrors on your motorcycle clean.

Brake carefully

Don't brake too hard in the wet. Use progressive braking techniques. If your motorcycle has ABS brakes refer to the owner's manual.

Reduce speed

On a wet road, riding at the speed limit could be too fast for the conditions. You can lose control very easily in wet weather, especially if you have to brake suddenly, so slow down.

Dip your headlight in fog

If you ride with your headlight on full beam in fog, the light will just reflect back on you. Dip your light - it will be much easier to see.

Don't just turn your park light on. It is hard for oncoming drivers to see and does little to improve your vision.

You can use a front fog light when riding in fog. This has a wide, low beam and produces either a white or yellow light.

A rear fog light, which produces a high-intensity red light, should only be used when visibility is very bad (in normal conditions it can dazzle drivers following you).

Fog lights should be switched off as driving conditions improve.

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Last updated: 25 June 2010