When motorcycle accidents happen, what can you do to be better prepared?

Okay, so no one really wants to talk about the BIG "what if I get in an accident?" But the truth is accidents happen and being prepared will only make the "worst case scenario" less hectic and worrisome.

Beyond the basics of wearing protective clothing, maintaining your motorcycle etc., there are things you can do to increase your chances of getting through such an ordeal. One of the first things is to provide information to anyone who would respond to motorcycle accidents. Print out all your medical information including a brief history, and ongoing medical issues, medications you are on, etc and keep that information on you or your bike. We keep a red colored list attached to our jackets with all that info on it. Check with your doctor's office or local hospital for wallet size information cards that you can use.

There are a number of things you can do to make things easier on you and your loved ones in the case of a motorcycle accident. I call them accident survival techniques. These are very simple and easy things to do which do not take a lot of money or time. It's all in the planning.

We also should talk about insurance at this point. Make sure you have full coverage insurance that covers you, your bike, and accessories. Many of us attach additional "toys" on our bikes from audio and communication devices to lights and custom paint jobs. The best way to cover your bike is to take it to an appraiser, some motorcycle dealers will do this, and have it appraised. Then cover it for the appraised amount. Either way, make sure it's up to date.

A road side assistance plan is another good thing to have. Make sure it's with a company that specializes in motorcycles. The last thing you need is to have some yahoo that doesn't know how to tie down a bike show up. Also as I've stated in trip planning, call ahead for emergency service information in the national parks, commercial vehicles cannot enter many parks and the cost to have your bike towed can be astronomical!

At the minimum, a good first aid kit and some training in CPR. Just some simple things that anyone can do to help be prepared for whatever might happen.

The bottom line is, prepare for the worst so you can enjoy all of your trip. Chances are everything will go just fine. Talking about it before hand, preparing for emergencies and making sure all your info and insurances are up to date will take a lot of the stress off and allow you to enjoy your trip that much more.