Читать книгу Proficient Motorcycling - David L. Hough - Страница 29

While around half of all fatal motorcycle crashes are the result of the rider losing control, the other half are collisions. So a big part of managing the situation is to be aware of what the drivers around you are doing. The other day, a mini-van driver who had been tailgating me for several miles finally zoomed on by straddling the centerline. Even though I was maintaining 60 in a 55, I think the close pass was a message, perhaps “you’ve been holding me up long enough,” or “motorcycles don’t belong on the highway,” or maybe just “move it or lose it, biker boy, I got places to be.” While such aggressive actions tend to anger me, they don’t scare me quite as much as drivers who wander over the centerline or halfway onto the shoulder or who change speed for no apparent reason. I can only assume that wandering drivers don’t have their brains fully engaged in DRIVE, or their brains are fogged with chemicals, or they are distracted by a conversation on their cell phones. Whatever the reason, it’s a scary situation for vehicles hurtling toward each other at closing speeds of 130 mph, separated only by a pair of four-inch yellow lines painted on the pavement.

It’s not uncommon for motorists to misjudge the radius of a turn and drift over the centerline halfway around a corner.

Entering a corner from the outside of the turn helps you avoid those Wandering Willies who drift over the centerline.

Whether it’s an act of aggression or a disengaged brain on their part, drivers who wander over the centerline can pick you off if you don’t take action to stay out of the way. If there’s a collision between a motorcycle and a heavier vehicle, you know who’s going to get hurt. On curving roads, there are specific locations where motorists tend to wander out of their lane, whatever the vehicle. You can adjust your line to avoid these areas.

Consider Wandering Willie, who doesn’t understand the importance of entering corners from the outside. Halfway around, Willie suddenly realizes the road is turning tighter than the truck, but by then it’s too late to prevent an excursion into the opposing lane.

Imagine yourself approaching from the opposite direction, and note that Wandering Willie drifts into your lane about two-thirds of the way around. Drivers also tend to cut corners near the apex of their lane, not realizing the rear wheels track inside of their front wheels.