Tips to ensure you’re seen in traffic…

We have all heard the words “I didn’t see him.”

There are many theories about why people fail to detect a motorcycle in the traffic environment in which we ride. Motorcycles represent only about 6% of all registered vehicles on our roads. The other 94% drive cars, trucks and buses. The majority of licensed vehicle riders have never sat on a motorcycle or read about them, nor have they any friends who own them, in fact, we are not in their world at all. So: there is no clear cut answer to why motorists do not see motorcyclists.

About one third of motorcycle accidents at intersections involve a car turning in front of the rider and the driver reporting that they didn’t see the motorcyclist.

It is believed that one factor could be the lack of judgment of the speed of the approaching motorcycle and the space between their vehicle and the motorcycle.

Riding with your headlight on and wearing high visibility fabric and a bright helmet are not necessarily the answer to the problem. The bottom line is that the rider should be ultimately responsible for their safety and ride with the thought that the other driver has not seen them. A good understanding of road craft, which is basically all about timing, creating space around you, and positioning your motorcycle in the best place on the road for the given situation, can help a rider manage situations and reduce the risks in traffic and the open road.

Many people think that most motorcycle accidents occur on the open highways or fast and twisty mountain roads, but statistics tell us they don’t. They occur in the suburbs usually in 30 -50 mph zones. Let’s analyze a few of the most common accidents occurring, and how we can avoid them.

The rear end shunt. Riding down a suburban road late on a summer night, you stop for the red light. You then hear the dreaded sound of the screech of tires behind you. The impact from the rear knocks you onto the intersection. You have been hit by a well known style of car that didn’t see you waiting for the light. Maybe under the influence of some drug (the driver of the car that is). Motorcycles can be difficult to see especially at night. It is important that you scan your mirrors every 3-5 seconds, you should have predicted that a following driver may not see you. If you have observed the fast moving vehicle approaching from behind, you could have perhaps moved off onto one side to avoid a collision (I don’t suggest you sit on a motorcycle in neutral when there is traffic approaching from the rear. It is far more hazardous to adopt that practice at night, especially a late summer night).
The freeway lane changer. You are riding along on a two/three lane road at night. You decide to pass a slower moving car ahead by changing lanes to the left. As you do this, the car in the far left lane also decides to pass. When you change lanes you should position yourself so that you will still have space away from the vehicle after the change. If you had turned your head you would have noticed the vehicle and its position. You could have dropped back in anticipation that the driver might also wish to change lanes and pass the slower traffic. You should always signal your intention at least 3 seconds before the maneuver.
The off ramp darter (I have personally experienced this one). You are riding on a suburban freeway in the far left lane. Just as you are about to pass an off ramp, a car in the lane to your right darts across your path and brakes really hard to make the exit. You have no time or space to react and a crash may be imminent. By looking and thinking well ahead and scanning, you could have observed the off ramp approaching and should have anticipated that cars around you would exit. Riding in the exit lane, drivers may assume you are going to ride off the exit too. Off ramps and on ramps are prime locations for collisions. You should have decided to move away from the exit lane. You should always be aware of the drivers blind spot and stay out of them whenever possible.

There are many collisions occurring every day and usually if one can analyze the events leading up to the collision, there is a point in time where perhaps the rider used the wrong strategy or failed to use any, which contributed to the collision.

By predicting and anticipating what if we can stay out of trouble on the roads.

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