This is What To Do If You are Driving a Bike Throughout an Earthquake

You are simply rumbling alongside, minding your personal enterprise and, out of the blue, the bottom begins transferring beneath you. The roadway jumps and jiggles. You are in the course of an earthquake.

In a automobile, you are all proper. On foot, you are most likely good to go too. However what do you have to do should you’re on a motorbike and an earthquake happens?

The query got here to the forefront of our heads after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake lately struck the island of Taiwan. CCTV footage and cellphone movies taken present not simply the destruction an earthquake may cause, but in addition a handful of motorcyclists uncertain of what to do when the bottom beneath them began transferring.

Some stopped, some stored going, and others jumped off. After which a smaller quake hit the Japanese seaboard of america, the place extra riders possible felt the results on their commutes.

Actually, we did not actually know what to do both. I, myself, lived in Southern California for some time and skilled fairly just a few earthquakes in my time, however by no means on a motorbike. And after we requested Google, in addition to Alexa, what to do, neither gadget offered adequate solutions.

Quora and Reddit’s customers have been additionally stumped and asking the identical issues.

So we emailed the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) to see if there have been finest practices or steerage for motorcyclists within the occasion of an earthquake. This is what the group advised us. 

In keeping with MSF’s VP of Coaching Methods Dr. Ray Ochs, “If an earthquake occurs when you are driving, maintain driving to discover a place the place objects aren’t prone to fall on you. When you’ll be able to come to a managed cease, accomplish that within the most secure place attainable. [And] be glad you put on a helmet and good driving gear.”

Not horrible recommendation should you ask us. I might additionally personally add that it is best to get off your motorbike as shortly as protected after which transfer away from it in order that the bike would not fall on prime or get bounced onto you. 

Fortunately, earthquakes are fairly rare for a lot of the world. They occur, certain, however you are not tremendous prone to encounter one. That mentioned, it is best to know what to do if one strikes. Particularly if the “big one” hits. 

And to paraphrase Dr. Ochs, put on good gear.