Is it just a matter of time!

[Dale124]

Yesterday, After having yet another car pull out of a side street right in front of me, causing me to hard brake to avoid a collision, I was wondering if this is just a matter of time until someone pulls out with not enough time for a me to avoid them. I've only had my bike for a year, and there have been several of these events occur, 2 of which I would deem to be "a close call", including yesterday's incident. I do wonder if they didn't see me, or, they thought they had time, or, they just don't care! I am very aware of what is going on around me, and have used some of the safety suggestions found on this forum (ie:" how are they going to try to kill me at this intersection", was a good one), which helps, but I do still wonder.

Dale.

[djh3]

1 vote "they dont care" and possibly a vote for "its like a bicycle they can stop"

[dacheedah]

I suggest to everyone to get some tennis balls, cut them in half and use them as cones. Practice your evasive maneuvers. When I thought emergency vehicle operator driving we always taught that on most occasions you are better to steer around than break and hit the object in your path. Practice threshold braking, if you lock a wheel practice a technique to let off a little pressure without letting off the brake. That means curling your toes on the back of tense your fingers open a bit with your hand. You want the wheels to turn without locking and thats the fastest you will ever stop and will still allow you to maneuver. Overcorrection is a fatal error that causes most fatalities while driving (Car, truck, bike) the ohhhh shi . . . factor causes over correction. Practicing will build muscle memory and will help you in your travels. Good driving techniques, looking left right left again before entering intersections, make eye contact with drivers, watch the front wheels on vehicles you are passing and look for escape routes. If you get cut off look where you want to go and focus on that. The human brain will take your full field of vision away when stressed. I also put HID's and led driving lights on the bike to be seen but someone with their nose in their phone can't see that either.

 

Last of all ride safe

 

after 38 years in public safety I have seen people die from any number of accidents, not all vehicle related. Take your time in life and enjoy and be safe.

[baylensman]

Assume they can't see you ever!!!

Drive accordingly!!

Practice driving with one hand so you can extend the middle finger of the other to inform them of their driving error just as a community service

[MiCarl]

Whatever the reason, it's a rare day someone doesn't do that or turn left in front of me. Vigilance is your only defense.

 

Some time when you're sitting at a red light in a car pay attention to cross traffic as it passes your A-pillar (the structural piece that separates your door from the windshield). You'll notice that a whole car can disappear behind it. How long do you think a motorcycle is invisible because of it?

[tyota9]

I agree with the previous post, assume they don't see you. Also "clear" the intersection before u get to it, if you clear it when you are at it, it may be to late to stop or use evasive maneuvers. Also don't just clear the intersections with the stop lights and stop signs, clear the little ones too, side streets, alleyways, etc. Keep your eyes moving, always scanning always watching for the person that isn't paying attention. Be safe out there oh ya, wear a helmet!!!

[cowpuc]

I am a "wheel watcher" and it has saved my life a number of times.. Crazy as this may sound, I watch for wheel movement at intersections, if there are multiple cars I take lots of "snap shots" of multiple front wheels watching those hubcaps.. Because of this,, people who "creep" at stop signs or into intersections are my worst nightmare.. I cannot tell you how many times I have actually stopped when I had the right of way and motioned to let a "creeper' go ahead of me,,, get lots of funny looks but, if they are in so much of a hurry they have to creep,, I let the creep go ahead of me..

Also,, I was an avid (and pretty successful) Bow and Gun Deer hunter here in Michigan.. Applying the skill of watching for movement in the woods while hunting Deer to "hunting" people who are trying to mame either myself or someone else while I am riding also has paid pretty good dividends to this point......

[stickhandle2]

Agree with all......great point Puc, a cars wheels tell you so much. I am always scanning the intersection and as I am riding I am looking far ahead and also what is going on just ahead of you at the same time, always expecting a surprise.

 

You have to be ready for anything, but one of the best things is find an empty parking lot and practice practice practice........get to know how your bike reacts in emergency stops, if you don't how to ride your bike slow while getting used to the friction zone and riding the back brake.....more practice...

 

I am one of those guys that when I first saw the bright coats and helmets, I said what the heck was that person thinking.....son of a gun it worked, I noticed them.

 

Anyway just my 2 cents.

 

Mike

[XV1100SE]

Approaching an intersection when you have the right of way (with traffic lights, stop signs on side street). This is for cars coming from a cross street or coming the opposite way and about to turn left (in front of you)

Step 1 - make sure you are visible

a) day time riding - high beam on

b) passing lights on - makes you more visible with the extra lights

c) assume cars don't see you - swerve back and forth a little

d) make sure you are visible from the back end too. LED run/turn/brake lights make you brighter, LED brake light, even under trunk light. When I'm stopped or slowing to a stop if I have cars coming up behind me I'll flash the brakes a few times as they approach. When I'm not towing a trailer I have a trailer hitch light on my bike for even more visibility

 

Step 2 - avoidance

a) decrease your speed - if you do make contact with them, your ability to survive a fall increases as your speed decreases. Slower speed impact (of your body) against the vehicle or ground or shorter slide does less damage to YOU

b) watch the wheels of the car - if they are rolling then they are moving. See 2a and 1c

 

Step 3 - be prepared

a) be ready to grab a handful of clutch and/or brake

b) look for escape route - this needs to be before you get to the intersection. Be prepared to change your route - if you think a car is turning left in front of you and you swerve left but the car stops then you'll have to adjust to the right. Keep a "zone" around you that YOU manage where you have space to make avoidance maneuvers - in front, beside, and behind you

c) practice - as said... practice emergency swerves, braking. Do this with and without a passenger so your passenger will know how to react

d) being prepared also requires proper gear. Chaps will protect your legs against slides (doesn't help in an abrupt stop though), proper jacket (with armour) will protect your upper body against a slide. Not trying to have a discussion on helmets, but wearing a properly fitting, full face helmet protects your head against impact. Head injuries don't require major impact, people's lives have been significantly altered by a simple head impact.

e) being prepared also requires the right mental attitude. Be mentally ready to make quick decisions. If you are over tired your reactions will be slower. I don't think I have to say anything about not having had a few drinks before going for a ride.

 

4) be aware - scan for traffic and risks - cars at cross roads, cars getting ready to turn in front of you (and not always from the turning lane), children, distracted drivers/pedestrians, animals. Do NOT focus on one vehicle as they work in pairs some times - one to distract you and one to attack

 

Always assume other drivers can't see you. Not just at intersections but with traffic going in the same direction of you. Be prepared for a sudden lane change or an inattentive driver "drifting" into your lane. ALSO... be aware of surroundings in case the other driver has to take avoidance maneuvers for other vehicles or debris on the road.

 

Trucks do blow tires - be prepared for a blowout of the truck ahead of you, beside you, or debris on the road

 

Comment on animals too... don't save the life of a squirrel or small animal if it puts you at risk. Larger animals will do damage to you and the bike so in these cases you need to be prepared, aware, and take avoidance.

 

Probably one of the most important things.... do NOT be afraid to ride. If you are afraid you'll be tentative in how you approach your ride. This can be dangerous for you too. You need to be somewhat aggressive when riding... ride a little faster than traffic, own your lane, make lane changes decisive (and look two or three times before moving, check mirrors, over the shoulder).

 

I think this is a pretty comprehensive list... anything else I miss ? Anything anyone wants to correct or enhance ?

[kevin-vic-b.c.]

ALL of the above..... THEY don't care THEY don't see YOU THEY are not looking for YOU (especially in a place like Edmonton where riding season is so short) YOU gotta learn to read the other cars and drivers... wheel watching I think it was put.... but also YOU make eye contact with the driver even if THEY are not looking. YOU need to learn to read the on coming and flowing traffic way better than anyone in a cage needs to learn.

YOU need to take an experienced rider training program because just braking will not ALWAYS be enough.

YOU need to add additional front.... and rear.... lighting to your bike so THEY can see YOU coming for blocks.

 

and YES THEY are all out there trying to kill YOU

[Sailor]

Yep, all of the above. It has been proven in a study done for the RAF to help them determine threats earlier that they really do not see you. Have you ever been reading a book and put it down while going into the kitchen for a snack and when you come back the book is gone? What happens is that when you scan a room your eye takes snap shots of things and your brain fills in the gaps. This keeps you from getting motion sickness. You look at one end of a couch and then skip to the other end and your brain fills in an empty couch. It is not until you look directly at the couch that you see the book out there in plain sight. The same happens with drivers who look straight ahead then scan the on coming lanes and then look where they are going. Their brain fills in an empty lane which is what they want so they do not have to stop.

That being said I have had drivers make eye contact with me then wait until I am right up to them before they grin and pull out and block the road causing me to make a panic stop. I too watch the wheels at intersections. I also look to see if the driver is paying any attention at all.

[Barrycuda]

assume they can't see you ever!!!

drive accordingly!!

Practice driving with one hand so you can extend the middle finger of the other to inform them of their driving error just as a community service

 

+1000000000

[beltfed50]

I am a "wheel watcher" and it has saved my life a number of times.. Crazy as this may sound, I watch for wheel movement at intersections, if there are multiple cars I take lots of "snap shots" of multiple front wheels watching those hubcaps.. Because of this,, people who "creep" at stop signs or into intersections are my worst nightmare.. I cannot tell you how many times I have actually stopped when I had the right of way and motioned to let a "creeper' go ahead of me,,, get lots of funny looks but, if they are in so much of a hurry they have to creep,, I let the creep go ahead of me..

Also,, I was an avid (and pretty successful) Bow and Gun Deer hunter here in Michigan.. Applying the skill of watching for movement in the woods while hunting Deer to "hunting" people who are trying to mame either myself or someone else while I am riding also has paid pretty good dividends to this point......

 

 

[Marcarl]

Excellent, good advice, but might I add just a little?

As mentioned, own the road,,, at least send out that message, but for yourself, let them take all the real estate they want, it's too expensive to repair anyways.

Now back to own the road: Ride the lane like as if you own it, so in the outside lane use the left track, and in the inside lane use the right track. If you ride the shoulder then you will be 'hidden',,, look like you're parked..... all kinds of thoughts in the cagers mind,,,so ride like you own the lane. When you come up to an intersection, don't move over to the right side, you're telling everyone else that you're making a right turn and they'll move in before you,, (opps, they cut you off), but do be ready to take evasive action. Now if you are in the right hand track, where can you go if you get cut off,,,,,,, nowhere really,,,, but if you were in the left hand track you could possibly make a tight right, swing around the cage to the left, or maybe even escape by making a full left turn.

As Don said, he watches the front wheel and so gets a signal from that. Unbeknownst to riders, cagers also take signals that we send out,,, just be careful what you tell them, for they don't seem to take much time to think, are always in a hurry, and have poor eyesight.

Stay awake, keep the rubber down and the shinny side up,,, and may God go with you.

[beltfed50]

Thursday last week was most definitely "distracted driver day." As my wife and I were on the way to my brother's house in NE GA I took the interstate because there was a spot in Gainesville I wanted to stop. Almost without fail the cagers we encountered were talking or texting on a phone, fiddling around with something on the seat beside them, or doing SOMETHING to not give their full attention to the task at hand (which was stay the hell outta my lane!). I had one encroach 3 times before she saw me getting ready to try to kick her mirror off and put the phone down. The horn didn't help, and I have a stebel. People really just don't much give a damn.

 

Today, riding home on mostly 2 lane roads I only had one close call, a pickup half in my lane on Davis Gap road in Rabun county. I wasn't pushing hard, was able to stand the bike up some and he moved over to his side. Great ride home today.

[darthandy]

Good advice all around. But ... one thing to watch for. Never assume you have made "eye contact" with someone. There's a good chance they were looking at something or someone behind you and that's what they made "contact" with. If you're going to assume something then either assume they don't see you or that they would like to see what it feels like to hit a bike. You'll be safer that way.

 

Andy

[videoarizona]

Yep...sailor has it right. Studies have shown that when a driver does NOT move his head, he/she loses the ability to see movement. That's why fighter pilots #1 rule is to keep the head on a swivel. So if you think someone is looking straight at you, there's a good chance they don't see you at all. If they are looking back and forth, they probably do see you.

If they then take off, they are just being "stoopid"!

 

Don't take it personally, just react.

Practice...

david

[YamahaLarry]

I am a "wheel watcher" and it has saved my life a number of times.. Crazy as this may sound, I watch for wheel movement at intersections, if there are multiple cars I take lots of "snap shots" of multiple front wheels watching those hubcaps.. Because of this,, people who "creep" at stop signs or into intersections are my worst nightmare.. I cannot tell you how many times I have actually stopped when I had the right of way and motioned to let a "creeper' go ahead of me,,, get lots of funny looks but, if they are in so much of a hurry they have to creep,, I let the creep go ahead of me..

Also,, I was an avid (and pretty successful) Bow and Gun Deer hunter here in Michigan.. Applying the skill of watching for movement in the woods while hunting Deer to "hunting" people who are trying to mame either myself or someone else while I am riding also has paid pretty good dividends to this point......

 

I am a wheel watcher as well, and I always assume the car is going to pull out and I always assume that oncoming left hand turner is going to cut into my path and prepare myself to have to make an abrupt stop.

 

I have a few additional safety points:

 

1) Take nothing for granite.

 

2) Drive the posted speed limits, they (except for the speed trap small towns) are set for a reason.

 

3) Always be aware of your surroundings, including the cars in your rear view. If a car passes you, even on the interstate, that you never saw in your rear view, let that be a warning.

 

4) When you do have to stop quickly for whatever reason, try to pump your brake a couple times to flash your brake lights to that following vehicle.

 

5) When following other vehicles, use the 2 second rule, or better yet, 3 second rule. Check yourself often that you are following this rule.

 

6) When entering a busy highway or crossing that intersection, if you have a second thought about taking off, then don't. That second thought just may save your life.

 

7) I keep my headlight on bright, unless it is dark and someone flashes requesting me to dim.

 

8) And my final rule, there is no such thing as being too safe.

 

I have many more that I try to share with younger lesser experienced drivers, but those are my main ones.

[Gary N.]

My modulating headlight has saved my a$$ many times in the same situation.

[Sailor]

While on a ride with some other bikers I noticed that the bike behind me did not have his light on high beam. Whenever a car came up behind him he disappeared in the cars headlights. In daylight I always ride with my headlight on high beam. At an intersection I will give a little wiggle to the handle bars so the headlight moves a bit, that seems to get attention. I have reflective tape called "fish scale" on my helmet. It changes colour with the direction of the light and gets attention. I have people tell me that going down the road at night the fishscale caught their attention then they realized there was a bike there. They did not notice the headlight or taillight or reflectors, just the fishscale. It isn't "cool" but I am still here after 36 years of riding.

[Jimbob66]

2) Drive the posted speed limits, they (except for the speed trap small towns) are set for a reason.

 

Everything I have read so far have been really great points.

 

For me ... Speed limit is THE main factor. The way I look at it is the slower I go the longer I have to react. Besides if I go faster I just have to get off the bike sooner.

 

I'm not saying become a moving chicane. I'm saying don't feel embarrassed about doing the speed limit and hanging back a little.

[midnightrider1300]

I work in sales at a Motorcycle dealership, and when I talk to someone about riding, I tell them I ride as tho I'm invisible, I assume NO1 sees me...When I come to an intersection, or a side street I go to watching closely and IF I can I usually slow down even IF there isn't a car there. I can't tell you how many close calls I've had or the times if I hadn't been watching would have been disastrous.... be careful & ride safe...

[Eck]

The difference in present-time alertness could be all that separates a dead rider from one who merely had his/her heart rate accelerated after an instantaneous, controlled swerve to avoid a catastrophe.

The more in control you are of your motorcycle, the better a rider you are, and the longer you will likely enjoy riding.

Motorcycle safety and better motorcycle control are part of a never-ending process of self-improvement.

 

To enjoy riding for many more years to come, you cannot become complacent about your level of riding skill: NO MATTER HOW EXPERIENCED YOU ALREADY ARE.

[beastwood]

After reading all these helpful posts about safety, I was wondering when I would see the same out here. Well, this was my week. Yesterday, on my way home from work, a semi rural ten mile trip through pastureland, I saw a beautiful deer beside the road. It was being tended to by two bystanders. Hopefully, it was only stunned, I assume it must have been struck. Thankfully, not by me. Then, today, I was on a four lane road in the number one lane, a car just ahead in the number two lane, and a motorist pulls out from the curb and rolls all the way into my lane. I swerve into the left hand turn lane to avoid him. I'm sure he couldn't see me because of the car in the number two lane. Well, all your helpful posts kept me ready for whatever I may encounter.

[XV1100SE]

Did anyone see the video on CNN ?

http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/us/2014/05/14/dnt-motorcycle-crashes-into-suv-caught-on-camera.kctv&hpt=hp_c3&from_homepage=yes&video_referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F%3Frefresh%3D1