Keeping yourself vertical to ride another day is no one’s responsibility but your own. That being said most of the tricky situations you’ll encounter on the road are started by someone else driving or riding like an idiot. So, what to do about it. If you are reading this the answer surely isn’t sit home in your bubble afraid of the world. From years of auto racing, motorcycle riding, and everyday driving these are my thoughts on how to be safe while still riding to your favorite level of aggressiveness.
We’ve all heard the suggestion to assume everyone else is a bad driver, but what does that actually mean? To me it means assume that to be true, and act before the situation becomes dangerous. In “Twist of the Wrist”, Keith Code addresses the idea that you have $10 worth of mental capacity to spend on riding. If you are spending $5 on operating the machine, $2 on navigation and planning, $1 focusing on that sock that’s falling down in your boot, you only have a couple bucks left to spend on critical situations. The cost of the mental energy is proportional to the situation, so stress or time crunch increases the cost of the action. This is similar to the concept of spoon theory. Below I am going to list out a few scenarios as examples of how to process the situation before it happens.
highway exits
We’ve all been there, approaching an exit on the highway and decided at the last minute that’s the one we want, or the other way round. Assume everyone else is doing the same thing. Cell phones, or highway hypnosis, or just stupid, the reason is irrelevant. Don’t put yourself in the path of someone changing their mind. When approaching speed up or back off so you are not side-by-side with other cars changing their mind.
highway passing
NEVER pass another vehicle in cruise control. Modulate your speed to spend the least amount of time side-by-side as possible. First, they can’t see you, duh. Second, the longer you take to cross the more opportunity for mistakes like forgetting to re-check mirrors, cross-winds, blown tires, or just stupid. Use this as an excuse to see what dropping gear and rolling on the throttle feel like! Don’t be afraid to pass, just do it with intention. When in curves, I recommend not passing at all, it’s even more unpredictable what others are going to do. Do it quick before, or just after, they aren’t that dang long anyway.
aggressive drivers
You’re probably one of them…
You know what they look like and you can assume they are going to cut you off, or the car 2 in front of you. Be ready. Let them pass, they are great filters for cops. Let them get the ticket so you can sail by! Keep your eyes open for other drivers/riders that react poorly to this and be prepared to get outta there.
lane positioning
We all know the rule of 3. While consistency helps others to know what you are doing, it is a guideline and not a hard and fast rule. If other drivers can’t see you, or figure out what you are doing, you are a blind target. Being aware of the situation and riding to be seen is your responsibility, move if you need to, there are no walls between the 3 lane positions. You can use your lane position to be in front of a driver so they see you better, to be on the edge of the lane where you are most visible to the potential threat of merging traffic, to be in the middle avoiding slick spills, etc.
city intersections
Living in Boston I have had my share of dangerous encounters at city intersections. From cars yanking a left as soon as the light turns green, to cars inching out to stop traffic after waiting “too long”, to cars running stop signs, or just being ignorant of how a 4-way stop works. The main goal of an intersection is to understand the mechanics of it, the players, and your path out. Anticipation plays a big role here. Be ready for all the mistakes. Watch the drivers’ body language. Get out of the risky zone as soon as you safely can. Bike’s accelerate quick, use it to your advantage to leave the danger behind you.
I don’t know anyone who can honestly say they’ve never made a mistake on the road. So be fair, assume it isn’t intentional, and move on.
These are by all means not hard and fast rules, only suggestions on how to tackle tough situations and spend less mental cash.
OK, that’s enough for now. more situations in part 2…
Moto Kinder 