It’s not exactly riding season (getting down into the teens tonight?) but meeting with small car enthusiast John Olman a few weeks ago was a wonderful opportunity to review an important crash prevention tip – parking “Butt Out” when parking a small car. We were able to share that motorcyclists also follow this tip. It’s one worth repeating for the uninitiated.
The idea is that when parking a motorcycle in a traditional parking lot, you should position the rear of your bike to line up with the rear of the parking space, rather than pulling all the way forward. Many motorcyclists turn their bikes around so the front end of the bike is at the rear of the space, making exiting the spot safer than backing out and that’s great too. Motorcycles can “disappear” between larger vehicles, especially trucks and SUV’s when tucked all the way to the rear of a parking spot. Riders know that making yourself visible on the road can prevent crashes. Carrying that mantra onto the parking lot does the same thing.
When other drivers see what originally appears to be a vacant spot and attempt to pull in (sometimes too quickly for safety) they can crash into your bike before they realize the spot is not empty. A tiny bumper kiss might not damage another car, but can punt a motorcycle several feet or over on it’s side. The photo above is a great illustration of what can happen when someone attempts to pull into a parking spot occupied by a motorcycle. Parking lot crashes are very common, and there are a large number of hit and run incidents that occur here – so parking ‘Butt Out” can save your vehicle, and save you from paying an insurance deductible.
For motorcycle riders, there is an injury risk as well. What happens if a car attempts to pull into your spot while you are getting or on or off the bike? In addition to a damaged vehicle, you’re injured to boot. So please, spread the word to your motorcycle riding friends to “Park Butt Out!”
I’ll be sharing information soon on a website devoted to this new safety slogan. Watch for details.