11 rules for safe motorcycling in Morocco
1. Always alert
Following the rules, staying in your own lane or even your side of the road is not enough. You must keep your eyes wide open at all times by swiping right/left and looking down the road at all times.
To protect you while driving. Stagger and keep more space between your motorcycle and others as prevention and protection. Anticipate the intentions and mistakes of others. Do not put any headphones in your ears.
All the senses must be present and focused on the road, other users and driving.
To protect you while driving. Stagger and keep more space between your motorcycle and others as prevention and protection. Anticipate the intentions and mistakes of others. Do not put any headphones in your ears.
All the senses must be present and focused on the road, other users and driving.
2. Even at green lights, slow down
(Be careful of carts, bicycles, motorcycles without lights or dimly lit)
Make sure you look to the side when passing a green light, especially early in the morning or late in the evening when traffic is light. traffic lights and other stop signs when there are not many cars and even in broad daylight. At red lights make sure that the person behind you also slows down in advance and is not going to bump into you, especially at orange lights.
Make sure you look to the side when passing a green light, especially early in the morning or late in the evening when traffic is light. traffic lights and other stop signs when there are not many cars and even in broad daylight. At red lights make sure that the person behind you also slows down in advance and is not going to bump into you, especially at orange lights.
3. Don't exceed the speed limit
There is zero tolerance and no margin for error. The gendarmerie and the police strictly enforce the speed limit, even a mere 5 km/h more can be seen as speeding, and would cost you a lot of DH. So be aware of the speed limit if you don’t want to pay a fine.
If you are arrested for speeding ask the question if it is a laser radar or a radio frequency radar in order to assert the error rate of radio frequency radars and to see the photo which proves the offense knowing that they are not obliged to provide it to you but you never know Personally I would just advise you not to speed. By going too fast we take unnecessary risks and we do not take advantage of the landscapes
If you are arrested for speeding ask the question if it is a laser radar or a radio frequency radar in order to assert the error rate of radio frequency radars and to see the photo which proves the offense knowing that they are not obliged to provide it to you but you never know Personally I would just advise you not to speed. By going too fast we take unnecessary risks and we do not take advantage of the landscapes
4. Show your intention to other drivers
Use your hands and arms when you can safely do so to signal that you are slowing down or that you are about to turn…and above all, do not accelerate suddenly, you must give others time to see you and take your maneuver into account. It is very important to drive in a way that communicates to other drivers what you are doing and what you are trying to do. It is best to accelerate slowly, especially when taking a turn. When cars suddenly appear out of nowhere, other drivers won’t have time to see and react, so the risk of an accident increases.
5. Communicate with other drivers and pedestrians
with gestures and eye contact and… honk!!!
Many things are communicated just by eye contact, when trying to navigate through a full parking lot or get out of a traffic jam, you need to let other drivers and pedestrians know what you are trying to do. Make eye contact, use hand gestures, and sometimes the best way to do that is, of course, to honk your horn.
6. Be aware of who has the right of way at different roundabouts
The asphalt in the roundabouts (Roundabouts) are not up to standard in my personal opinion because they are too smooth, add to that the oil, fuel oil and the liquid that comes out of the garbage trucks…accelerate gradually and do not brake suddenly , Roundabouts have been popping up all over this country in recent years. Some of them give the right of way to cars that have already entered the roundabout while others give the right of way to those who are re-entering. You should watch for signs on entry roads. If there is a stop sign or a yield sign, it means those who have already entered the roundabout have the right of way, but if there is no sign, then drivers on the roads input have priority. Sometimes there would be traffic lights at the entrance roads, which indicate that they have the right of way. Sometimes the police will also stand next to a roundabout to see if you are giving way or not.
7. Think of the centerline and traffic lanes as "guidelines"
Cars will often run out of traffic lanes, and even yellow center lines. Don’t get mad, just drive around them or keep a safe distance. Things are much more flexible here when it comes to driving in Morocco.
8. Check your documentation before leaving
In Morocco, motorcycles do not have a sticker, but make sure you have your registration document, your insurance, your up-to-date license, your international insurance if you come from abroad.
9. Pay attention to these three points when driving on the highway
First of all, watch out for extremely fast cars that drive at a speed of 180 Km/h. These are usually German luxury cars. Second, watch out for extremely slow vehicles below 60 Km/h. These are mostly old vans or overloaded trucks. And third, watch out for pedestrians walking on the freeway. This is probably unheard of in Europe, but don’t be surprised to see people hitchhiking, or selling fruit along the highways. The problem in Morocco is that there are not enough safe crossings on the highways, nor bus stations in the villages and small towns, many people in the rural area choose to simply cross the highway rather than go around several kilometers to use an overhead or underground bridge.
10. Learn to tell the difference between signals
Drivers flash their headlights to tell you, “Go ahead, I’ll wait until you pass first. “But sometimes it could also mean that there is a radar or a police check a little further away”.
11. Use gestures to say "sorry" or "thank you"
Remember to wave to other drivers to say sorry when you make a mistake or to thank them when they give you priority. And above all, don’t get upset, I’ve seen so many motorcycle accidents due to nervousness and then at too high a speed to overtake or lecture a motorist who is too distracted or has cut off the biker’s lane…
