Tickle My Feet, Text: Things Not to Do While Riding a Motorcycle

Aggressive and reckless riders are among the top irritants say motorcyclists, according to a national survey commissioned by Erie Insurance and conducted by Harris Poll.

The online survey, conducted in June, asked nearly 200 U.S. motorcycle riders to share their top five pet peeves about both other riders and drivers of four-wheel vehicles, as well as the most common rookie rider mistakes. It also asked riders to fess up to the craziest, weirdest or most reckless thing they’d ever done while riding, or seen others do. Needless to say, that question yielded some quirky results.

“Motorcycle riding can be incredibly fun and invigorating but our survey results show that riders really need keep their guard up at all times because there are a lot of hazards out there,” said Cody Cook, vice president and product manager at Erie Insurance. “It also shows how important it is to have the right motorcycle insurance to protect both themselves and their bikes. More than one in 10 riders (11 percenet) admitted to not having any motorcycle insurance.”

Riders’ Top 5 Pet Peeves about Other Riders

Pet Peeve	Percent of riders who list this as a top 5 pet peeve
1. Riders who drive aggressively or recklessly (i.e., speeding, weaving in and out of traffic, doing wheelies, etc.)	56%
2. Riders who pass on the shoulder	41%
3. Riders who engage in “lane splitting” (riding in between lanes of stopped traffic)	36%
4. Riders who don’t wear protective gear (i.e., riders who wear things like shorts, sandals, tank tops, etc.)	35%
5. Riders who don’t wear helmets	28%

Riders’ Top 5 Pet Peeves about Vehicle Drivers (cars, trucks, SUVs, etc.)

Pet Peeve	Percent of riders who list this is a top 5 pet peeve
1. Drivers who don’t check their blind spots before changing lanes	55%
2. Drivers who text while driving	53%
3. Aggressive or reckless drivers (i.e., speeding, weaving in and out of traffic)	50%
4. Drivers who tailgate	43%
5. Drivers who don’t use signals when turning or changing lanes	42%

Riders’ view of Top 5 Rookie Rider Mistakes

Mistake	Percent of riders who think new riders make this mistake
1. Assuming other drivers can see them	38%
2. Wanting to show off or impress others	35%
3. Buying a bike that’s more powerful than they can handle	31%
4. Not taking a riding or safety course (TIE)	30%
4. Riding on high traffic roads too soon before they’re comfortable maneuvering their bike (TIE)	30%
5. Failure to check blind spots	28%

As for the weird, crazy or reckless things riders said they’ve done or seen others do:

Several riders said they had stood on the seat with their hands in the air while speeding down the highway, or had seen others doing it.
A couple of riders reported seeing others texting while riding. One said the texter was leaning onto his backseat and steering with his feet.
One rider saw an amorous couple riding their bike in a compromising position.
One rider said he cruised up behind a woman who had her bare feet sticking out the passenger seat window of a car and tickled her feet. He said “She freaked…then burst out laughing.”

Source: Erie Insurance

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