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ОглавлениеManaging Risk: How to Ride Smart and Dress for Crashes
Up until now, we’ve discussed the mental and psychological aspects of riding smart. We learned that a rider who has the tools to preempt hazardous situations is less likely to encounter many close calls and is more likely to avoid a crash.
With this foundation poured and hardened, we can now discuss practical methods for avoiding trouble, starting with areas where riders can fall victim to poor judgment and ineffective strategies. We’ll then talk in detail about the importance of seeing and being seen.
Ride Smart
We may not ride to be safe, but this doesn’t mean we want to end up in a wheelchair or a casket before our time. Here’s a short list of consequences that should make you think about the importance of risk management:
1.Pain: Who likes pain? Not me. But pain is what you’ll feel even with a minor crash. Protective gear can significantly reduce injury, but it’s no substitute for riding well so that incidents don’t happen in the first place.
2.Financial Loss: Lost time from work, medical bills, medications, insurance deductibles, bike repairs, gear replacement … the list of expenditures goes on and on. A simple failure on your part can cost you thousands. And don’t even get me started on the costs of risking a DUI.
3.Family: Who do you think will be taking care of you when you get hurt? I don’t know about you, but my family and friends have more important things to do with their time than to help me drink my dinner through a straw or even drive me back and forth to doctor appointments because I’m in a cast. And if you die, who do you think will suffer most? Not you, you’re dead. It’s your loved ones.
I point out the ugly truth to spark your motivation to advance your physical and mental skills, use good judgment, and develop keen survival strategies. Your family and wallet will both thank you for the effort made.
Anxiety can help you discover your limits.
Recognize Limits
One of the easiest ways to stay out of trouble is to know your limits and always ride within them. Anxiety can help you discover your limits. It’s a clear sign that you’re riding over your head if you feel panicked.
You may be saying, “I know my limits.” Perhaps, but there are many variables that make it difficult to know exactly where the limits are, including an unfamiliar machine, a changing road surface, or complex riding situations. These can cause us to exceed the limits without knowing it, until it is too late.
For example, environmental conditions constantly change. A road that at one moment offers excellent grip can change suddenly with a light dusting of sand. Mood, fatigue, emotions, and hunger can also alter where the limits lie. Smart riders are continually evaluating the environment and their mental and physical condition so they stay ahead of trouble.
Managing risk means wearing protective gear.
Mind Over Muscles
The first rule of avoiding crashes is to use good judgment and have effective strategies for avoiding hazards. The best riders rarely if ever need to use their finely honed physical skills to save them from a crash. Instead, they rely on accurately perceiving risk and predicting what other drivers are about to do. They spot hazards early, accurately evaluate their significance, and act appropriately to minimize the likelihood of a crash. These strategies minimize—or dare I say eliminate—the need for heroic action.
Often, a street riding crash is the result of a sequence of factors that fall into place like toppling dominoes. The best riders with the strongest mental skills can detect the often-subtle clues that begin the sequence and act quickly to halt the progression.
Someone told me a story of a young man on a sport bike that rammed into the back of a minivan at a stoplight. He careened out of control at an excessive rate of speed. The intersection was at the base of a hill where the rider couldn’t see the van until it was too late. His youthful burst of adrenaline in a totally inappropriate location put him in the hospital with severe injuries.
It’s easy to blame recklessness on youth, but bad judgment applies equally to older riders, like the 50-year-old man who didn’t make a corner and hit a stone wall. Apparently, he simply made a bad judgment about the curve and didn’t have the skills to make the bike turn at the speed he was traveling. The point is that nobody is immune. It takes constant diligence to keep exuberance at bay.
Dress for the Crash
Managing risk includes protecting yourself from injury by wearing protective gear. Many riders who are involved in relatively minor crashes end up with major injuries simply because they chose not to wear protection. Well-designed protective apparel will reduce skin abrasion and impact injury. This can mean riding home under your own power after a minor fall rather than being transported in the back of an ambulance.
All The Gear All The Time (ATGATT)
There’s an acronym floating around called ATGATT (All The Gear All The Time). The gear we are talking about includes a helmet, sturdy jacket, sturdy long pants, and full-coverage gloves and boots. By wearing ATGATT, you ensure that you are protected at the moment you need it most. Protective riding gear needs to be worn on every ride since you cannot possibly predict when a mishap will occur.
The good news is that motorcycle gear is better than ever in terms of style, comfort, and protection. Innovative features, such as modern waterproof and thermal liner systems and high-tech venting material, provide versatility. Most touring jackets now come with some sort of impact-absorbing armor in the elbows, shoulders, and knees for impact protection.
Another important piece of protection is a back protector. Rigid back protectors can prevent a sharp object, such as a footpeg, handlebar, or tree branch from doing serious damage. Back protectors are effective in shielding the spine and internal organs, as well as in distributing bone-crushing forces over a larger area. This type of force is common when landing on pavement after being flung skyward during a highside crash.
In the racing world, more and more competitors are choosing a higher level of protection not often used before, such as chest protectors, neck braces, and even airbag suits. These protective systems will become the norm as technologies improve and as top professionals begin to use them more often.
Comfort and Style
It may seem silly to don full gear when the thermometer rises above 90°F (32°C), but crashes happen whether it’s 40°F (4°C) or 100°F (38°C) outside. You can bet that skin abrasion injuries are greater during the hottest days of the year when t-shirts and lightweight pants are the norm.
Fortunately, there are mesh jackets that provide decent protection while flowing a lot of air, and these jackets also feature sturdy material in vital places. The same manufacturers also offer riding pants for hot weather that can be worn over shorts or jeans while providing decent protection. And consider that sometimes it’s just too hot to ride, so it may be best to leave the bike in the garage if the conditions are such that wearing decent protection risks hyperthermia.
The type of protective riding gear people wear is a personal choice that should be based on risk acceptance and awareness, but more often is based on style and peer pressure. It may be tempting to wear only what is fashionably acceptable by your peers even though it offers little protection. Fortunately, several helmet and riding apparel manufacturers sell protective gear that complements all styles.
RIDING TERM
CE
Protective gear sold in Europe must conform to the “CE” standards for effectiveness in absorbing impact energy and resistance to abrasion.
Get Seen
Choosing a particular style of riding gear can help you be more visible, such as high-viz yellow or wearing a brightly colored reflective vest over your existing jacket. For the most conspicuity, buy gear with small add-on lights that mount either on a helmet or in the middle of a jacket’s upper back. Most can be programmed for steady luminescence or strobe.
Don’t want to look like a highway worker or a Christmas tree? Then choose a brightly colored jacket, like red. I know that most riders will choose black over safety colors. There is no law against that choice, but just know that you won’t be as visible to other drivers, especially in low-light environments.
Not Convinced?
Still on the fence about whether you want to spend money on good riding gear? Consider this: our body will succumb if there is an accumulation of several relatively minor injuries. That means that a serious case of road rash might be too much for your body to handle if it also has to deal with broken bones and a concussion. That’s why protecting your body from even relatively minor injury can save your life.
And if you think you’ll be okay without full protection because you’re just riding around town at “slow” speeds, consider how you’d react if I asked you to go out into a parking lot in your shorts and tank top, run as fast as you can, and dive onto the pavement. You’d likely tell me to get lost. Even if I offered you money, you’d likely walk away. Now, imagine how it would feel to fall while unprotected at 30 mph (48 kph)—not good.
In the racing world, competitors wear the highest level of protective gear.
No Panacea
We’d all love to think we can prevent death or serious injury simply by zipping on a sturdy jacket and strapping on the most expensive helmet we can afford. But the reality is that many deaths occur despite a rider wearing all the best gear. After all, elbow, knee, back, and shoulder armor is no match for a truck or tree. And no helmet made can withstand the impact of more than 300 G, which is a problem when a direct impact at normal speeds can easily exceed 500 G.
According to Academic Emergency Medicine, a human head will suffer brain damage 15.4% of the time if exposed to as little as 50 G. And neck and spine injuries are another serious problem that a helmet can’t do much about. But don’t even think about foregoing a helmet. A helmet provides protection to the most important part of your body, minimizes trauma (in most cases) to prevent traumatic brain injury, and prevents the rest of your injuries from killing you.
By all means, increase your visibility and protection. But don’t be fooled into thinking that simply wearing bright clothing will save you from poor decisions. You need to be careful not to adopt a false sense of confidence because you feel less vulnerable. It’s human nature to let your guard down when you don’t feel threatened (that’s why drivers in large vehicles seem less safety conscious). Sure, protective gear does make you less vulnerable to injury, but not enough to think that you can increase risk taking. A thinking adult realizes that protective gear is intended to prevent injury, not give permission to ride recklessly.
RIDING TERM
G
Stands for G-force, or the force of gravity.
Learn to Look
Let’s discuss the practical aspects of visibility—both yours and that of other drivers. Many riders don’t realize the extent to which eyesight affects motorcycle control and rider confidence. The fact is that you can’t manage risk and hazards if you can’t first see them. Riders who train themselves to look well ahead don’t experience anxiety nearly as often as “near-sighted” riders because they spot potential hazards early to avoid conflict. You will be amazed at how much more secure and in control you will feel if you strive to improve your information-gathering skills. Let’s see how.
Look for Trouble
Visual acuity is much more complex than simply looking ahead. To determine whether you’re headed for trouble, you must actively search for hazards by keeping your eyes moving. Quickly scan left, right, and down at the road surface to spot problems. Your eyes should be in constant motion. Avoid fixating on any one object for more than a second. Also, scan your mirrors and check over your shoulder when changing lanes to identify hazards that might be hidden in your blind spots.
It’s important to keep your eyes up so you can scan well ahead. Riders who scan only in the near distance are often surprised by obstacles or road characteristics that appear “out of nowhere.” In contrast, riders who train themselves to keep their vision “up and out” are able to see hazards much earlier to allow ample time and space to respond. This alone will improve safety and allow a more relaxed and enjoyable ride.
Busy traffic environments or higher speeds require even more aggressive visual scanning. A leisurely rural cruise at the posted speed limit may permit relatively relaxed visual scanning. However, as your rate of speed increases, the time you have to process information becomes condensed as information approaches more rapidly.
Keeping your vision “high” not only helps you spot hazards early, it also positively affects perception of speed. When your eyes scan the distant horizon, the landscape appears to pass by more slowly compared to looking down as the road rushes beneath your tires. A slower perceived rate of speed offers a sense of more time and space to react, therefore minimizing the effects of speed-induced anxiety.
Peripheral vision is as important for spotting hazards. A wide focal field allows you to identify clues about hazards from the side, such as movement that can indicate a car changing lanes or an animal darting from the weeds.
Busy traffic environments require aggressive visual scanning.
Visual Sense
You must develop a sixth sense about line of sight to ensure that you can see all potential hazards and so that others can see you. Get into the habit of recognizing subtle signs that should alert you to threats. Make a concerted effort to scan the landscape and roadway for anything that can turn into a hazard, such as a reflection on the windshield of a car that is rolling toward you. Ask yourself whether the driver sees you and what the are chances that he will accelerate in front of you. What clues tell you that you are safe, and what clues can you recognize that indicate a threat? Evaluate each clue to determine whether you can reliably read what is being communicated. For instance, direct eye contact with the driver may indicate that he sees you, but don’t count on it!
Look well ahead for flashing reflections through vegetation or moving shadows on the road surface that may indicate a nearby vehicle that is on the move. Also, look at the driver’s arms and head for movement that could indicate that he or she is about to either accelerate or steer into your lane. Another tip to help detect early movement is to monitor the top of the front tire of a stationary vehicle wanting to enter the road from the side. As soon as the vehicle rolls, you’ll know it.
Even though the majority of hazards appear in front, don’t forget to frequently scan your mirrors, especially when stopped. And don’t forget to use peripheral vision and make quick, efficient head checks over your shoulder to spot trouble. (We will cover blind spots a bit later.)
Looking versus Seeing
We look whenever our eyes are open, but that doesn’t mean we see what’s in front of us. It’s not unusual for a driver to appear to look directly at a rider just before pulling into his or her path. Perhaps the driver was daydreaming, had poor eyesight, or was focusing on something else behind the rider. Whatever the reason, the driver looked but did not see.
To understand how the brain processes visual information, it’s helpful to understand the difference between looking, seeing, and perceiving. You look in the direction where dangers appear, see that potential hazards are present, and perceive whether the hazard poses enough danger to warrant evasive action. Looking is mostly a mechanical activity, and seeing is what happens when an object gets your attention. Visual perception is what causes your brain to react to keep you safe.
Following Distance
One factor that can prevent you from seeing hazards is riding too close behind other cars and trucks. Riders who follow too closely often find themselves dealing with hazards that appear “suddenly” and often too late to prevent a crash.
Ample following distance provides a wider angle of view to see past the vehicle and allows other drivers to see you. One easy way to determine an appropriate following distance is to use the 2-second method. As soon as the vehicle ahead passes a fixed roadside object, begin counting “one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two.” You should complete your count before your front tire reaches the same object. It’s important to note that 2 seconds is considered a minimum following distance. More space is required if you’re a new rider, if the surface is slippery, or if you’re riding in a high-risk environment.
Lane Position to See
As motorcyclists, we have the option of riding in the left, center, or right portion of our lane. This gives you the ability to place your bike where you can see farther ahead and where other drivers can see you. Exactly what is the best lane position? In most situations, riding left of the center of your lane makes the most sense. This position allows you to see past the vehicle ahead and gives you a good angle of view of the oncoming lane.
Lane position needs to change continually for optimum visibility. One situation that may require a change in lane position is when you see a waiting driver on a side street to your right who will not see you if you stay in the center or left lane position. In this case, it makes sense to move to the right portion of your lane until you are confident that the driver sees you, and then move away from the car.
Target Fixation
When humans are faced with a threatening situation, we instinctively look at the hazard, which is a response called target fixation. The problem is that looking at a hazard tends to direct us toward the danger, which is why it’s important to consciously look away from the hazard and focus on a safe escape route. In other words, focus on the solution, not the problem.
A common scenario that leads to target fixation is entering a corner too fast. Riders who are anxious about not making a curve will fix their attention on where they are afraid to go. The results are predictable, with the motorcycle veering toward the guardrail or the edge of the road. The solution is to look toward the corner exit and lean the motorcycle as much as necessary to stay in your lane.
FIGURE 3.1
In Figure 3.1, we can see how riding left of the center of your lane allows you to see past the vehicle ahead and gives you a good angle of view of the oncoming lane.
Another common situation that is made worse by target fixation is when a vehicle performs a threatening maneuver. The rider stares at the car and heads right for it even though he or she may have been able to steer around it.
You may not have thought about it, but traffic traveling in the same direction can also present the chance for target fixation. If you fix much of your vision and attention on the car ahead, you risk being lead in a direction you don’t want to go. Look past vehicles you are following to maintain your path.
RIDING TERM
Target Fixation
When an individual becomes overly focused on a single object that their ability to avoid it diminishes.
Vision Blockers
Some factors hinder vision, including solar glare, incorrect eye protection, nighttime riding, and impairment caused by aging, alcohol, drugs, or emotional distraction.
Solar glare is caused by the low angle of the sun and occurs in the morning and late afternoon. Sunglasses and tinted shields work to minimize the effects of solar glare but do not completely solve the problem. Some helmets have an integrated pull-down tinted shield that is always available when needed. Open-faced and dual-sport hybrid helmets often include integrated sun visors, which can be a real help in combating solar glare. Full-faced helmets lack the option of a visor for blocking the sun, but I’ve had some success by simply putting a strip of electrical tape across the top of my shield.
Nighttime visibility is always a challenge. Even with good headlights and clear eye protection, you must accept that you will not be able to see hazards as readily as in the daytime. This means that you must ride at reduced speeds.
There are times when your ability to identify hazards is significantly compromised, such as when riding in rain or fog or when riding impaired. Of particular concern is the use of alcohol or drugs. Not only is this illegal, but it will significantly affect your visual acuity. Impairment from emotional distraction is also a problem because it can cause your mind to fixate on what’s bothering you and not on what is right in front of you.
Cornering Vision
The benefits of looking ahead are obvious when it comes to dodging hazards and other roadway users, but your eyes also play a critical role in cornering. Your vision is used for judging proper corner entry speed, as well as in being able to spot hazards around a corner. These hazards include surface debris, such sand, gravel, or diesel fuel, or the road itself if the curve tightens unexpectedly or drops downhill suddenly. The best riders can “read” the characteristics of an upcoming corner.
Visual Timing
Before you decide when to initiate lean, you need to know where you will actually begin your turn and how quickly you must get the bike leaned. This critical information comes from looking at the corner characteristics, such as apparent radius and surface quality. Once you get the information you need, you can then make those decisions with confidence.
Ideally, you will perform a single steering input to precisely carve into the turn. And you should plan to countersteer only after you’ve identified your next visual target. So, look first, and then turn. Wait to see where you want the bike to go, and then lean the bike quickly or slowly as needed to achieve your goal.
Corner Positioning
Cornering lines are an important and often underutilized technique for increasing your angle of view to identify mid-corner hazards. The typical cornering line consists of an entry that is near the outside of the lane, heads toward the inside near the middle of the turn, and drifts outside at the exit. This “outside-inside-outside” path gives a better look into the curve.
There are many hazards that can appear mid-corner. Road debris, slippery spills, and broken pavement all threaten to increase the risk of a crash. These types of hazards and unexpected changes in corner radius can be thwarted by an early look through the turn. Cornering lines are effective in increasing sight distance, but you will still encounter corners that are obscured by vegetation or some other roadside feature. This is why it is important to choose a conservative entry speed that keeps plenty of lean angle and traction in reserve. Savvy riders scan aggressively for information and choose cornering lines that help them get the best angle of view possible. (Cornering lines are discussed fully in a later chapter.)
Visual Direction Control
Seeing hazards is important for staying safe, but your eyes also play a significant role in motorcycle control and confidence. You may have heard the phrase, “you go where you look.” By pointing your eyes toward the corner exit, you help direct the motorcycle on the desired path. Riders who discover the power of “looking where they want to go” make great leaps in motorcycle control.
You may be thinking, “I already look ahead.” Perhaps; but there is a difference between looking ahead in the mid-distance and really looking ahead all the way through the turn, toward the corner exit. On your next ride, try lengthening your vision to a point in the distance that is at least 4 seconds ahead. You’ll find that looking deeper into corners will help you to enjoy the full benefits of visual direction control.
Part of the reason that visual direction control can increase confidence is because it puts your eyes and mind ahead of the situation and prepares you for what is about to happen. In contrast, near-distance scanning often leads to anxiety because you don’t have the time to process what is about to happen. This leaves you less prepared for corner hazards and less able to select the proper lean angle and speed to complete the turn skillfully.
Even though you want to look well ahead, you will also need to get a closer look at possible road surface hazards as they approach. This means using quick downward glances but, once you’ve gotten a look at the possible problem, returning your eyes to the corner exit.
An effective way to look through a turn is to “ratchet” your eyes as you round the corner, looking for visual clues about road surface condition, camber, turn radius, and the like. Your eyes register the information early and signal that it is either okay to proceed at the given speed and path or alert you to the need to adjust speed or direction to manage a hazard or to stay in your lane.
Don’t be surprised if looking far ahead is disorienting at first, but with practice it will become a natural part of your riding skill set. If you find yourself reverting back to looking in the near-distance, you may be experiencing anxiety—probably because you are riding a bit too fast for your comfort level. In this case, slow down to re-establish your wider vision and restore confidence.
Visual direction control helps you go where you want to go, but it is only one component of the turning process. Looking where you want to go simply makes the cornering process easier.
RIDING TERM
Visual Direction Control
The tendency to go where you look.
Visual Targets
To improve your visual precision, you must actively identify “visual targets” that can help you to direct your motorcycle. On the racetrack, visual targets are easy to spot. They often include bright cones at the entry, apex, and exit of the corner. Other visual targets might include pavement patches or cracks, curbing, and other trackside features. These targets help place the rider and bike in the preferred location, lap after lap.
On the street, visual targets help determine which way the road goes and how tight the radius is. Unfortunately, visual targets aren’t as obvious here, which makes the characteristics of each approaching corner not as easily identified.
One helpful visual target is the road edge and painted road lines and how they visually converge into the distance. Essentially, when the lines converge in the near distance, the corner radius is tightening (decreasing) or the surface is sloping away, off-camber. If the lines converge in the far distance, then this indicates that the curve is straightening and/or is banked. There is a wide variation in how obviously the lines converge and what this means in terms of road characteristics. Even though this is an imperfect method, it can be a very powerful tool for “reading the road” so you can accurately adjust your cornering line and entry speed. For the greatest margin of safety, enter unfamiliar turns more slowly.
Be Seen
The most common statement spoken by drivers involved in a motorcycle collision is “I didn’t see him.” This is because motorcycles are smaller in size and therefore command a much less visual impact compared to every other vehicle on the road. This small physical size means that drivers may subconsciously look past the motorcycle without even seeing it. Often, this is because they do not perceive the relatively tiny object as a threat and instead focus on more “important” vehicles.
Another reason why motorcyclists are not easily seen in traffic is because motorcycles can get lost behind other vehicles, inside blind spots, and hidden by roadside objects. This is the area where riders have the most control. It is imperative that you have a sixth sense about how well you are seen by other drivers. You should be constantly evaluating your line of sight to determine whether you may be hidden from view.
It’s easy to blame a driver who cuts you off for being inattentive, but maybe you need to share some of the blame. Perhaps you weren’t using the best lane position to help the driver identify your presence. Or maybe you weren’t paying attention to how the driver was blinded by solar glare, or you were wearing inconspicuous riding gear without any reflective material. The point is that there is plenty you can do to be more visible.
One helpful visual target is the road edge and painted road lines and how they visually converge into the distance.
In Plain Sight
I’ve heard many stories of drivers cutting riders off even though the driver was looking directly at them. What would cause someone to proceed even if the rider was in plain sight? Perhaps the driver was daydreaming, has poor eyesight, or was focusing on something else behind the rider. Whatever the reason, the driver looked but did not see.
One reason people don’t see what they are looking at involves human perception. It’s widely known that humans are influenced by what they believe to be true, even if all the evidence before them points to the contrary. One example is the driver who pulls out in front of a motorcycle rider in the early days or weeks of a new riding season because he did not expect to see a motorcycle on the road. It’s understandable. The driver hasn’t seen a single motorcycle on the road during the long winter months, so, when one appears, he mentally dismisses its importance and pulls out without ever seeing the rider.
Scientific studies abound that describe perception blindness and inattentional blindness, which is when a person does not see something that is in plain sight, usually because of environment distraction. A classic example of this is demonstrated in a video produced by the University of Illinois and Harvard University that shows several people in black or white clothes passing a basketball between themselves. The viewing audience is asked to count the number of passes. As the audience focuses on the action, a man in a gorilla suit does a moonwalk across the screen. The man in the gorilla suit goes unnoticed by about half the people watching. Asking the audience to count the passes provided adequate distraction to cause many to miss what was directly in their field of view. This is what happens when a driver pulls out in front of a motorcycle, even though the driver appears to be looking directly at the rider. It also is what happens when we miss important clues that can keep us out of harm’s way.
Change blindness is similar to perception blindness. It is a term used to describe situations when someone fails to notice rather obvious changes in the environment. A Harvard University study filmed a scene with a man standing behind a counter. Prospective subjects speak with the man about participating in the study. What they don’t know is that the interaction at the counter is the study. As they discuss the requirements and fill out some paperwork the man ducks below the counter, supposedly to retrieve another form. But a different man pops up with the form in hand. Most of the subjects do not notice the switch and carry on with the conversation, even though the second man is wearing a different colored shirt and has different hair. This demonstrates how we see what we expect to see, not necessarily what is actually going on.
RIDING TERM
Change Blindness
Situations when someone fails to notice rather obvious changes in the environment.
Combat Motion Camouflage
Another phenomenon that affects our safety is motion camouflage. Motion camouflage is a term used to describe how an object can appear to be stationary to the observer, even though the object is approaching. If you ride directly toward a driver waiting at an intersection, then you risk appearing to be stationary against the distant landscape.
You can combat this by gradually moving from one side of your lane to the other to cross the driver’s field of vision. Choose an approach angle that creates the greatest contrast of motion between you and the background. Even a lane width is often enough to separate you from the landscape and alert drivers that you are in motion and help them more accurately judge your approach speed.
FIGURE 3.2
Avoid Motion Camouflage by gradually moving across the driver’s field of vision.
Get Conspicuous
I mentioned earlier how the most reliable strategy for being seen is to be more visible. A driver who sees you and is able to accurately judge your speed and distance is much less likely to pull out in front of you.
Sound is not a very reliable way to be noticed. This is why installing loud pipes is not a great strategy for increasing safety. Sure, loud pipes will increase the likelihood that drivers will know you are in the vicinity, but don’t be fooled into thinking that sound will help a driver locate where you are in traffic. Thankfully, there are other strategies for being conspicuous.
It is important to be aware of other vehicles around you and to communicate your presence and intent and to act predictably to minimize miscommunication. Failure to consider what you’re communicating—or not communicating—can precipitate an accident. For instance, only using engine braking to slow and not activating your brake light until you are almost stopped can easily result in the driver behind you reacting too late and hitting you. (More about avoiding rear-end collisions is discussed in a later chapter.)
Turn signals are effective attention-getters as well as communicators of intent. Turn signals need to be activated early enough to give drivers plenty of time to respond. It’s not much help to signal at the same instant you push on the grip. A good rule of thumb is to signal at least 3 seconds before slowing to turn or change lane position. Indicate that you are going to change speed or direction…and then pause. If you don’t have time to pause, then you are waiting too long to indicate your intentions and putting yourself at unnecessary risk.
FIGURE 3.3
Figure 3.3 illustrates dynamic lane position— this means continually moving from the left, center, and right portions of the lane as necessary to see and be seen and provide a space cushion from hazards.
Lane Position to Be Seen
We talked a bit earlier about how lane position affects how well you can see past cars ahead. Well, lane position has an equally important role in helping drivers see you in traffic.
Lane position is dynamic and will change with varying conditions. This means continually moving from the left, center, and right portions of the lane as necessary to see and be seen. I mentioned earlier that, in many situations, riding in the left/center of your lane makes the most sense. This position gives other drivers in the oncoming lane ahead a good angle of view to see you. Remember that certain situations might require a change in lane position. If a car is waiting on your right, it makes sense to move to the right portion of your lane, until you are confident that the driver sees you, and then move back toward the center of your lane to increase your buffer of space between you and the car.
When riding with other motorcyclists, riders ahead will move within their lane, so be sure to adjust your lane position as necessary to make yourself visible. A staggered formation makes this possible. (More about group riding in a later chapter.)
Hiding Away
One of the most common errors in lane positioning is when a rider hides behind a vehicle by tailgating in the center or right-hand portion of the lane. This is especially risky when following large trucks and vans.
Blind Spots
Motorcycles can easily get lost in driver’s blind spots, which typically fall just behind a car’s front doors all the way to the rear bumper, out of range of the mirrors. If you can’t see the face of the driver in her mirror, she can’t see you. Large trucks have very large blind spots, commonly referred to by the cautionary moniker “The No-Zone.” Continually monitor your position to avoid riding in this blind spot. Remind yourself to ride through blind spots by continuing to accelerate past the vehicle until you are in a position where you are seen.
Never make lane changes into the blind spot of a driver who is next to you because he might attempt to change lanes simultaneously as he tries to occupy the same lane. Change lanes gradually to allow drivers time to predict your intentions.
Motorcyclists have blind spots, too; unfortunately, typical motorcycle mirrors do a rather poor job of revealing what’s behind and to the sides. Take a quick glance over your shoulder to be sure it’s safe to merge or change lanes.
FIGURE 3.4
Figure 3.4 shows what can happen if you are “hiding away.” The rider was tailgating behind a vehicle and therefore was hidden from view from the car making a turn across the lane.
FIGURE 3.5
Figure 3.5 shows the position of a car’s blind spot.
FIGURE 3.6
Figure 3.6 illustrates the “No-Zone” for large trucks.
LESSON LEARNED
Wear Your Gear!
It’s one of the first moderately warm days of the season, so you decide to go for a ride. You gained weight over the winter, and your riding jacket is a bit too snug for comfort, so you throw on your work jacket to keep away the cold. You live in a state that allows riders to choose whether or not to wear a helmet, and you often go without for the sense of freedom and the sensation of being completely immersed in the environment.
The air is cool, so you put a knit hat on to keep your head warm. You must navigate through a maze of intersections to get to the outskirts of town where the roads are more enjoyable. The intersection where you need to turn is just ahead. As you approach the crossroad, you see the green arrow turn to yellow for the left-hand turning lane, so you accelerate to avoid needing to stop. Just after you begin to lean into the turn, your tires slide out from underneath you and you land hard on the pavement.
You wake up later in a hospital bed with no recollection of what happened. You have a headache that rivals any pain you’ve felt before. You hit the call button to summon a nurse who comes in a few minutes later. You ask what is happening and she explains that you were in a motorcycle accident.
What’s the Lesson?
Your plan was to enjoy a leisurely spin out of town, but it soon turned into an expensive and painful event. What could have been a relatively minor incident ended up being a calamity because you chose not to wear a helmet. Your work jacket minimized other injuries, but the lack of head protection is what landed you in the hospital.
Your choice to beat the light caused you to miss seeing the surface hazards. You forgot about the dangers of accumulated fluids and sand left over from treating winter roads. Many months off a motorcycle dulled your ability to recognize hazards that are of little concern when driving a car but can be a big problem when piloting a two-wheeler.
Next time, make sure you are fully prepared for the challenges of operating a motorcycle and always wear full protective gear, just in case.
LESSON LEARNED
Hiding Away
Rusty is riding down a two-lane road. He usually rides in the middle of his lane thinking it’s the best way to keep distance from oncoming cars and roadside hazards. A minivan is ahead of Rusty moving at what seems like a snail’s pace, and his frustration causes him to ride closer than he should.
There are several side streets and intersections along the way, but Rusty pays them little attention, focusing on the minivan’s rear bumper instead. As the minivan passes a side street on the right, a car suddenly appears to Rusty’s left, accelerating hard across his lane to enter the street. The driver apparently did not notice Rusty hidden behind the van and thought it was safe to go. Once he sees the motorcycle, the driver slams on his brakes. Rusty swerves to the right, but it’s too late as the car smashes into his motorcycle’s rear wheel and fender.
Rusty was riding close behind the minivan and in a portion of the lane that did not allow oncoming cars to see him, nor could Rusty see that a car was waiting to turn across his lane to enter the side street. As soon as the minivan cleared the way, the driver made his move, not knowing that Rusty was there until the last moment.
What’s the Lesson?
Had Rusty been more aware that he was hidden from view, perhaps he would have selected the left-hand lane position. But the very first thing he should have done was to back away from the minivan for a greater angle of view to see approaching vehicles and to make it easier for drivers to see him.
Next time someone suddenly veers into your lane as if they never saw you, ask yourself why this happened. It could be that you were hiding away without even knowing it.
LESSON LEARNED
Blind Spot
You gather your things and pack your bike for the ride up North where you will meet family for an annual reunion. The route you select minimizes traffic, but unfortunately will require a stint on a section of road that is known for being crowded.
The ride is going well; the weather is nice, and the traffic is surprisingly light. However, traffic volume eventually picks up, and you find yourself among a mix of cars and trucks funneling to a crawl as the highway transforms to a surface artery. As you slow, you notice a truck in front of you and a silver sedan to your left. You don’t think much about the surrounding vehicles because everyone is rolling at a steady 20 mph (32 kph) with no apparent intent on changing lanes.
Suddenly, the sedan moves to the right into your lane. You have little time to react. You try to swerve away from the car, but it’s too late. Your front tire makes contact with the right rear bumper. You are thrown to the pavement in an instant. You wake up in an ambulance with a wicked headache and a searing pain in your left arm.
The driver who crossed into your lane did so because she thought the lane was clear. She claimed to have looked in her side mirror and even glanced over her shoulder before turning, but could not see you in her blind spot. The driver is responsible for making sure the lane was clear, but you are also responsible for making sure it was possible for her to see you. The problem would have been avoided if you had been riding slightly ahead of the driver’s passenger door or dropping back so she could see you in her mirrors. Next time, be more aware of sight lines and use lane positions that ensure that other road users see you.
What’s the Lesson?
Develop a sixth sense about your surroundings, select lane positions that ensure the highest level of conspicuity, and avoid riding in drivers’ blind spots or hiding behind other vehicles.
