Get to Know the North Dakota Motorcycle Laws for Your Safety and Protection

Minot motorcycle accident attorneys explain your legal obligations and rights

Riding a motorcycle lets you experience the open road like you never have. You can enjoy the beautiful North Dakota scenery while you feel the wind and the sunshine on your skin. For many, riding a motorcycle is the closest they get to feeling like they are flying themselves. But all the freedoms that riding a motorcycle offers also increases its risk. By following all the laws that North Dakota has established for motorcycles, you can improve your safety and that of other drivers on the road.

Before you can ride a motorcycle or motorized scooter, you must get a ND motorcycle license or permit. The requirements for doing so are similar to the requirements for a driver’s license or permit, which include providing identification, a social security number, and proof of residency. If you do not have a permit already, you must pass the Rules of the Road test. In addition, you must also pass the Motorcycle Knowledge Test and must pass a vision screening.

You can get a motorcycle permit or license in North Dakota when you are just 14 years old, but your use will be limited to daylight driving only on motorcycles or scooters that are 250 cc or under. Drivers who are 14 and 15 are also not permitted to carry passengers. Daylight driving remains a restriction for those who have a permit at any age, but starting at 16, drivers who have a permit can ride motorcycles that are above 250 cc.

In many states, helmet use is required by law when riding a motorcycle. In North Dakota, those who are 18 and older are not required to wear a helmet. However, wearing a helmet at all times when you are either a driver or a passenger is strongly recommended. Just like wearing a seatbelt in a car, wearing a helmet on a motorcycle can save your life in even the most minor of accidents.

When you ride a motorcycle in North Dakota, you are required to follow the same traffic rules as the other vehicles on the road. That means no driving on the shoulder or in that small space between the vehicle lane and the curb! You also have to ride on the seat installed on your motorcycle and with one leg on either side of the motorcycle. Keep the tricks for the dirt bike track.

You must carry passengers safely and in the manner in which they were meant to be transported. That means that they have to sit on the installed seat — not stand on wheel pegs or hang off the bike in another unsafe way. The same goes for any packages you carry. They have to be securely attached to the bike of the motorcycle, and they cannot interfere with your ability to hold the handlebars.

North Dakota has a few other laws that apply to motorcycle riders, and it is important that you acquaint yourself with all of them before you head out on the open road. Otherwise, you will end up with a ticket at best or wind up in a serious accident at worst.

The Minot motorcycle accident attorneys at the Larson Law Firm are ready to help fight for your rights if you have been in a motorcycle accident, whether with another motorcycle or vehicle. Unfortunately, even if you are following all the ND motorcycle laws, you can still get into an accident because of the negligence of another driver. If you are seriously injured in the accident, you may be entitled to compensation under the law.

Call the Larson Law Firm today at (701) 839-1777 to talk with one of our Minot motorcycle accident attorneys, or fill out the online contact form to schedule a free consultation. Our attorneys are committed to getting the compensation you deserve for your injuries after a motorcycle accident.

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