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Risky Business: Accepting and Understanding Risk

We’d all like to believe that motorcycling is less risky than it is, but the fact is that riding is dangerous. Fortunately, you can develop a positive relationship with risk by recognizing your attitudes toward risk and then implementing measures to make riding safer and more fun.

Accepting Risk

I’m pretty sure you don’t ride to be “safe.” You ride because of the feeling you get from being on a motorcycle: the freedom, adventure, challenge, camaraderie…and FUN. If your primary goal is to be safe, you would find other things to do, like billiards, golf, or hiking.

There is an old saying that there are two types of riders—those who have crashed and those who have yet to crash. Unfortunately, there is some truth to this. I don’t know any rider who hasn’t experienced a simple tip-over in a parking lot during some point in his or her riding career. I also know several riders who have suffered significant crashes, and, tragically, some resulted in death.

Each rider’s perception of risk contributes to the way he or she rides and decisions he or she makes. Some people perceive the risk as high, or are generally risk-adverse, and therefore ride cautiously to limit risk exposure. They might avoid riding at night or in heavy traffic, and they work hard to keep their accident-avoidance skills up-to-date. As a result, they encounter fewer close calls and are usually more relaxed than a rider who is less prepared.

Riders who are in denial about the risks often end up in dangerous—or deadly— situations.

Risk Tolerance

There are many riders who are perfectly aware of the risks but still choose to operate their motorcycle in very risky ways, willing to accept more risk in exchange for opportunities to challenge their skills. These riders are more likely to contain their activity to remote roadways or closed courses where they can manage the risk.

Some riders are in denial about the risks and do stupid things that risk not only their own life, but also the lives of others. The most extreme examples of risk denial are those who underestimate the effects of riding under the influence of alcohol or deny the consequences of racing or stunting in traffic. This unrealistic optimism eventually leads to smashed bodywork and broken bones.

Most of us are somewhere in between the range of very cautious and reckless. We tolerate a level of risk that allows us to enjoy the challenge of riding, but self-preservation doesn’t allow us to expose ourselves to excessive or unnecessary danger. Self-preservation is what encourages us to wear protective gear, ride slowly through intersections, and improve our riding skills.

Denial

Even though most riders have a hunch that a crash is possible, many riders don’t believe it will happen to them. It’s rather easy to see what a rider’s beliefs are about risk by the type of riding gear they choose, their behavior in traffic, and their ability to ride within their limits. A rider who has a less-than-realistic perception of risk may not wear protective riding gear.

Accept the possibility that a serious fall may be in your future and prepare for it by protecting yourself from injury. You will avoid a lot of pain and suffering if you are wearing protective gear at the moment when your skill or luck runs out. Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst!

The lesson is, if you think you are safe on a motorcycle, you’re wrong! You could die on any ride you take. With this sobering knowledge, what are you going to do about it? I suggest you become the most skilled motorcycle rider you can be.

Some environments have a higher likelihood of injury.

Defining Risk

An accurate measure of risk includes two factors:

•Your risk exposure and the probability of a mishap

•The consequences of being involved in a crash

The probability of a particular danger depends on your risk exposure and your attitude toward risk. Risk exposure is closely tied to your riding environment. For example, riding in pouring rain or in dense traffic is much riskier than riding on a dry day on a deserted road.

Your probability of a crash also depends on your willingness to take risks. For example, if you ride while intoxicated or use the public roadways as a racetrack, then you shouldn’t be surprised if you’re involved in a higher than average number of close calls and crashes.

The consequences of a crash vary depending on several factors, including how fast you are going at the time and whether you slide to a stop in an open area or hit a hard object. Some environments have a higher likelihood of injury. For example, a crash on the street often results in a catastrophic collision with a guardrail or curbing, but this terrible fate is much less likely if you crashed on a racetrack. Even though racetrack speeds may be higher, the lack of roadside barriers decreases the likelihood of injury.

Measuring Risk

Risk perception is formed by our attitude, experiences, knowledge, and ability. People also measure risk and determine their risk acceptance by finding a balance between risk and reward. But sometimes it’s tough to know how much risk we are exposed to. An imaginary tool you can use to measure risk is the “Risk Meter.” Imagine a gauge mounted next to your speedometer that reacts to the amount of risk you are being exposed to. The needle moves toward “more risk” when you approach a busy intersection or when you approach a decreasing radius curve, and then eases back toward “less risk” when danger passes.

Another instrument you should learn to utilize is your “Anxiety Meter.” This gauge responds to your subconscious as it tells you when you are entering a high-risk situation or approaching the limits of your comfort zone. This usually occurs when you cannot process information quickly enough. One easy way to combat this problem is to always ride at speeds that allow you to calmly respond to any change in your traffic or cornering situation.

Imagine a “Risk Meter” and “Anxiety Meter” to help gauge risk.

About Crashing

It doesn’t matter how old or young you are, what type of motorcycle you ride, or where you ride, we all agree that one of the worst things that can happen to you on a motorcycle is for you to crash. Notice that I am not using the word “accident” when describing a mishap. Nobody wants to crash, so technically all mishaps are accidents, but the term “accident” suggests that it was an act of God or a random incident that happens for no reason. Thinking that way will just cause you to get into more “accidents” by not taking responsibility for the incident and therefore learning nothing from the experience.

A crash is almost always caused by someone screwing up. Unfortunately, we cannot expect human beings to be perfect all the time. Whether a crash is the result of another driver’s poor judgment or from rider error, the fact is that most incidents can been prevented. I know what you’re saying—“it was the other guy’s fault!” Maybe. But where does that get you? Your job is to prevent the crashes from happening in the first place.

How Crashes Happen

Every Monday morning, I find myself scanning the news for reports of motorcycle accidents from the past weekend. It may be a rather morbid thing to do, but these reports can provide a glimpse into why motorcyclists crash. Many serious crashes I read about involve another driver, but about half of all fatal crashes are single-vehicle incidents where the rider fails to negotiate a curve.

Too often, the primary cause of crashes is the motorcyclist riding beyond his or her skill level and the limits of the environment. One news report I read described a rider who had collided with a car going in the opposite direction on a lightly traveled scenic road. I am familiar with the corner where the incident took place. It isn’t a particularly challenging corner, but witnesses said he had been riding at excessive speed before he crossed the centerline and hit the car head on. It also mentioned that he had been riding with some other motorcyclists who came upon the scene moments after it happened. The rider died instantly, and the innocent driver was seriously injured and flown out by helicopter.

So, what happened? The news report was vague, so we can’t know for sure, but we can imagine that the rider was high on adrenaline, riding with fast friends and pushing his limits. I imagine him drifting wide, panic causing him to grab the brakes and stand the bike upright as his eyes lock on the approaching car.

Crashes like this are avoidable. So why do riders get themselves into such serious trouble? It’s usually because riders want to enjoy the feeling of cornering fast, but have an optimistic and inaccurate perception of the risks and their own ability. Optimistic riders are more likely to charge into a blind corner, willing to gamble that they can handle any situation that may occur. They may also trust that all other road users will behave just as they’re supposed to, stopping at traffic lights, changing lanes predictably, and yielding to the right of way. But optimism is a fool’s friend in this case.

Identifying a potential hazard is a large part of the battle, but to avoid a collision or crash also requires an avoidance action, such as braking, turning, or swerving. Unfortunately, many riders act inappropriately or fail to act at all. The Motorcycle Accidents in Depth Study (MAIDS) report shows that 69.8% of riders attempted some form of collision avoidance before the impact, but that a significant number of riders who attempted no avoiding action. This reaction failure may be because of “panic-freeze” or because there simply was no time to complete the action.

Even when riders have the ability and the time to perform an evasive maneuver, it doesn’t mean they will perform well. According to MAIDS, about 20% of riders end up crashing because of a loss of control while attempting an evasive maneuver. The most common example is when a rider over-brakes, skids, and collides with a car, even though the rider may have had plenty of time to stop safely if he had applied the brakes properly and avoided skidding. Another example are riders who enter a turn too fast for their ability and instead of leaning more, stand the bike up and run off the road.

Most riders facing a hazard will attempt an avoidance maneuver, but many choose the wrong one or fail to perform well enough. One example is choosing to swerve instead of brake. An unsuccessful swerve without any significant reduction in speed can be disastrous as the rider collides full-speed into the car or obstacle. Slowing before swerving is an option, but this requires more time and there is a significant risk of losing traction if you swerve and brake at the same time.

There are many reasons why crashes occur. I recommend you take a look at the MAIDS findings for yourself (www.maids-study.eu). You will gain an understanding of crash causation so that you can develop strategies that may help you to beat the odds.

Most riders facing a hazard will attempt an avoidance maneuver, but many choose the wrong one or fail to perform well enough.

Handling the Aftermath

Bummer! You fell down today. Your bike is heavily damaged, and you will soon be getting an emergency department bill in the mail. You’ll be dealing with insurance companies for months trying to sort out the financial mess. The bike can be fixed or replaced, and your body will heal, but what about the condition of your emotions and mind?

Depending on the severity of the mishap, you may have difficulty trying to comprehend what happened. After a crash, many riders question their perception of safety and continue to suffer because they don’t know how to repair the mental damage. This trauma can lead to the person choosing to stop riding if it becomes too stressful for both the rider and his or her family.

PTSD

When a person is involved in a serious crash, there can be significant psychological trauma. Many survivors of motor-vehicle crashes suffer post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which can include lingering anxiety that can easily retrigger feelings that occurred at the moment of the crash. We often associate PTSD with exposure to combat conditions, but the National Institutes of Health report that motor vehicle crashes are one of the leading causes of PTSD.

The American Academy of Family Physicians lists several common reactions to being involved in a crash:

•Shock

•Trouble believing the incident really happened

•Anger

•Nervousness or worry

•Feeling uneasy or scared

•Guilt

It’s also common to keep going over the incident in your mind.

Not everyone experiences significant emotional trauma, but some people are more vulnerable than others. The Mayo Clinic lists several factors that may make someone susceptible to PTSD:

•Your inherited mental health risks, such as an increased risk of anxiety and depression

•Your life experiences, including the amount and severity of trauma you’ve gone through since early childhood

•The inherited aspects of your personality—often called your temperament

•The way your brain regulates the chemicals and hormones your body releases in response to stress.

•The American Academy of Family Physicians also mentions several reactions that may indicate the need to seek help:

•An ongoing, general feeling of uneasiness

•Problems driving or riding in vehicles

•Not wanting to have medical tests or procedures

•Overreactions or being overly worried or angry

•Nightmares or trouble sleeping

•A feeling like you’re not connected to other events or other people

•Ongoing memories of the accident that you can’t stop

One technique that some psychologists and therapists use to treat PTSD is called eye movement desensitization reprocessing (EMDR). EMDR is a technique whose effectiveness I can attest to after a health scare resulted in anxiety that affected my day-to-day life. EMDR basically reprograms your cognitive mechanisms to reduce the lingering effects of trauma. Consult a professional to see whether EMDR is something that may help you or a loved on to overcome PTSD.

RIDING TERM

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Survivors of motorcycle crashes often experience this disorder, which includes feelings of lingering anxiety and ongoing memories of the incident.

Debrief and Evaluate

Whether you are involved in a tipover, a close call, or a crash, it is important to take the time to evaluate the situation so you might learn from it. A rider who does not ask “what happened?” is at risk of a repeat performance. Asking this basic question will help you understand how to avoid a similar situation in the future, and it might also help you overcome fear and apprehension.

First, determine the cause of the crash. Resist blaming others. Yes, the “other guy” may have played a significant role in the incident, but you can’t directly control others’ actions. You can, however, influence their behavior and prevent a crash. In a lot of situations, many factors are within your control: your speed, your lane position, how conspicuous your riding gear is, your ability to predict danger before it becomes critical. These are all ways for you to affect the outcome of a situation and feel less helpless.

Small Mishaps Can Feel Big

Sometimes even small incidents can be a big deal. The most common type of mishap in motorcycling is the relatively benign tipover, which rarely causes serious injury but is notorious for wreaking havoc on confidence.

I know several people who dread making tight U-turns, because of the fear of dropping their bike. Previous experience of a motorcycle falling to Earth can engrain anxiety to a point where simple parking lot maneuvers trigger almost paralyzing fear. Riders with low confidence at slow-speed maneuvering are easily spotted as they paddle-walk their bikes around parking lots, instead of maneuvering skillfully with their feet on the pegs.

Unfortunately, slow-speed maneuvers cannot be avoided. The good news is that learning to overcome the fear of slow-speed maneuvers is not too difficult. (Slow-speed maneuvering is discussed later in the book.)

Even a minor tipover can wreak havoc on a rider’s confidence.