GPS Navigation has entirely transformed the world we live in. It has made travelling from one place to another far easier than before. You can still enjoy your ride even after taking a wrong turn as it will immediately re-route and suggest another suitable path to reach your destination and get you there on time. However, if not handled carefully, it may distract you from the actual ride which takes away both the safety and the thrill of your journey and leaves you focusing on screens instead of the roads. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the tips you can use to ride safely on your motorbike while using GPS Navigation.
Understand the technology before you ride
Using GPS navigation while you’re driving a bike means switching your attention from the road for a moment and you can only do that if you’ve practiced the art well beforehand. This means practice while you are parked. Look at all the features and try to understand them; the time before the next turn, the distance measurement in terms of meters and kilometers, the audio features, and so on.
Understanding the GPS of your bike is as important as learning how to drive a bike, changing its gears, and shifting lanes proficiently. All these tasks take a lot of time and concentration at first but soon become a habit. The same is the case with GPS.
First things first
There are a lot of things to focus on while you are on the road and they only add up if you’re using a GPS be it on your smartphone or a specialized GPS unit fit into your bike. So you need to make a list of all the things that should be your priority while riding.
First and foremost you should look at the road, the road signs, and other vehicles passing by, and of course the pedestrians. Next, you should focus on the condition of the road; its holes, cracks, sand, stones, etc. Depending on that, you can decide how much time you can afford without looking directly onto the road ahead. Ideally, it shouldn’t be something more than 30 seconds to be safe. However, if it’s more than that, it’s always a good idea to park aside and look carefully where you want to head. If you’re on a busy road you should turn to somewhere where there is less traffic such as a residential area. When you’re done looking carefully, only then should you resume your journey.
Use audio
Another tip that can be helpful is to turn on the audio settings. That way you wouldn’t have to look away again and again and compromise on your safety. It would also save you the pain of missing beautiful landscapes on the way and helps you make the most out of your journey.
Find yourself a travel buddy
If it’s possible, it’s a good idea to have someone with you if you’re unsure about the way so that they can check the GPS and you can focus on driving. Having a travel partner is even more recommended if it’s something important to you and you wouldn’t want to be late such as the interview for that job you’ve been dreaming to get, your best friend’s wedding, a formal dinner you’ve been invited to, so on and so forth.
A good company also makes the journey more exciting and fun. It can also save you the fear of falling asleep on your way back if you’re tired after a long day.
Keep backup options
If you’re relying on your smartphone device for finding your way, make sure it’s charged and ready to use. However, even if it’s charged, you need some backup options just to be sure. This can include keeping the traditional paper maps with you especially if you’re going on a long route. But if it seems too outdated, you have other alternatives. You can have a GPS unit fit into your motorbike. Although more expensive than the other options you have, this option is certainly more reliable as well.
Checkout our article on the Top 4 Best High-Tech Motorcycle Helmets
Adapting to new technologies is like a necessary evil. You have to do it one day or the other. And even if you don’t do it, the thought of missing out on something important haunts you. Both using traditional ways and adapting to innovative ones are hard – you have to choose your hard!
Using the traditional paper maps is very time-consuming, demands attention, and to be honest, is quite looked down upon in this age. But at the same time using GPS navigation is also very distracting. In this age of technology, if you hold your phone for a second, you end up using it for like half an hour. It can be especially detrimental if you’re doing this while driving.
However, you still end up spending more time on it than intended because that’s how addicted you are. In the end, we would like to say that whatever you choose to adopt, use it wisely and please be safe.
