Riding a motorcycle? Remember these safety tips

Hitting the road on a motorcycle should always come with safety preparations and right driving skills to avoid accidents, according to an expert on Monday.

Motorcycle Rights Organization chairman Jobert Christian Balaños urged the riders to invest on safety gears such as motorcycle helmet, abrasion-resistant and padded riding jacket, and visibility vest.

"You have to think of it this way naman: Mas mahal ho magpagamot at hindi makapasok sa trabaho depende sa injuries ng makukuha mo, compared sa mag-invest ka sa safety gear na you can walk away from the basic accidents," Balaños said during an interview on GMA News' Unang Balita.

He also underscored that before every trip, riders should remember "T-CLOCK" in checking their motorcycles:

• T-ires
• C-ontrols and levers
• L-ights
• O-ils and liquids
• C-hassis including suspension and chain
• K-ick stand

Balaños also demonstrated how riders should sit on a motorcycle to ensure comfort and balance while driving.

"You sit down straight before you take on the handle bar. Dapat nakabaluktot nang maayos ang iyong elbow," he said.

He reminded motorists how to use the brakes properly.

"'Yan ho ang tamang pagpreno, 70 percent front [brake], 30 percent rear [brake]," he said.

Balaños added that when taking a turn, riders should look at the path where they are going.

"Look through the turn, hindi ka titingin sa baba, hindi ka titingin sa kalsada but you're looking through the direction where you are turning," he said.

President Rodrigo Duterte recently had a motorcycle accident inside the Malacañang Complex.

Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the incident occurred when Duterte had already parked his motorcycle at the PSG compound.

"The President was reaching for his shoe when he fell off his motorcycle that resulted in a minor injury, particularly light bruises and slight scratches, to his elbow and knee," he said. — Dona Magsino/RSJ, GMA News