HOW SAFE ARE MOTORCYCLES COMPARED TO CARS
Most motorcycle accident victims have less than one year's riding experience. Although most crashes between motorcycles and cars can be "technically" attributed to a driver's improper maneuver, such as not signaling or looking in the mirrors before making a lane change, the experienced motorcyclist should always be anticipating that these situations can develop. Formulate an early action plan to avoid them, before they happen. Riders that don't develop these street smarts, seldom last long enough to gain the necessary experience.
This means always being aware of your position in traffic, potential hazards, all your escape routes, controlling your speed, being extra careful at intersections, being in other vehicle's blind spots. It's a lot of things to be aware of, yet you must still find time to enjoy your ride.
If you take the Ottawa-Carleton Safety Council "gearing up" course and manage to pass with an M2, don't attempt to fight your way through heavy city traffic for a few weeks (or even months) until you get COMPLETELY CONFIDENT in your ability to control the bike to avoid potential hazards. An experienced rider who rides defensively is less likely to be involved in a serious accident than your average car driver, because the experienced rider is alert and knows how to maneuver out of bad situations.
Here are some of the hazards that you can encounter on the street:
In the first few weeks, getting used to the bike's characteristics is VITAL TO YOUR SURVIVAL on the streets! If you are concentrating on braking, leaning and shifting and head checks, you are not yet ready for street riding. Give yourself some time to get accustomed to your REACTIONS and your bike by riding on rural roads.
Some of the hazards I mentioned above could still confront you. But it won't be a scary as having to deal with busy urban roads, where MOST of the above hazards apply every day.
In today's society, drivers are in too much of a rush and forget to give the motorcyclist a chance to maneuver in an unexperienced fashion!
Protect yourself, ride with nother EXPERIENCED motorcyclists as a "buddy". Just as the "buddy system" for swimmers works, the buddy system for riders works as well.
The experienced rider should go ahead anticipating the traffic, and set an example for the novice on promoting safe riding. This is one of the fundamentals of safe riding and gaining that experience that new riders need which is crucial to their survival. While the safety course can teach you the fundamentals on a safet parking lot, they can't expose you to the hazards.
RIDE SAFE
...and get yourself home safely to enjoy the next day's ride!
Courtesy of http://www.bikersdown.net
Most motorcycle accident victims have less than one year's riding experience. Although most crashes between motorcycles and cars can be "technically" attributed to a driver's improper maneuver, such as not signaling or looking in the mirrors before making a lane change, the experienced motorcyclist should always be anticipating that these situations can develop. Formulate an early action plan to avoid them, before they happen. Riders that don't develop these street smarts, seldom last long enough to gain the necessary experience.
This means always being aware of your position in traffic, potential hazards, all your escape routes, controlling your speed, being extra careful at intersections, being in other vehicle's blind spots. It's a lot of things to be aware of, yet you must still find time to enjoy your ride.
If you take the Ottawa-Carleton Safety Council "gearing up" course and manage to pass with an M2, don't attempt to fight your way through heavy city traffic for a few weeks (or even months) until you get COMPLETELY CONFIDENT in your ability to control the bike to avoid potential hazards. An experienced rider who rides defensively is less likely to be involved in a serious accident than your average car driver, because the experienced rider is alert and knows how to maneuver out of bad situations.
Here are some of the hazards that you can encounter on the street:
- Potholes and big pavement cracks, just large enough to swallow or grab your front wheel.
- Oil slicks and tar "snakes" in the summer months when road maintenance is being done.
- Mud puddles, sand and loose gravel.
- Wet manhole covers.
- Wet street car tracks or train tracks.
- Cars changing lanes improperly or without signaling.
- Cars running red lights!
- Oncoming traffic turning left in front of you.
- Trucks/trailers slowing down quickly with mud covered brake lights or weak brake lights.
- Car drivers opening doors and stepping out without checking or seeing you coming.
- Taxicabs/buses pulling out in front of you.
- Cars backing out of driveways and parking spaces.
- Taxicabs/bad drivers cutting across 3 lanes without signaling or weaving.
- Freeway drivers cutting in front of you so as not to miss their exit that they didn't plan ahead for.
- Joggers running out in front of you without looking.
- Bicyclists turning in front of you without checking.
- Cars stopping in the middle of the street out of confusion.
- Cars pulling a U-turn without signaling.
- Pedestrians stepping out in front of you because they are too preoccupied on their lunch hour or too busy talking in a conversation on a CELL PHONE!
- Tailgaters (also talking on CELL PHONE).
- Cats/dogs in daytime. Deer/racoons at night.
- Kids running into the street chasing balls etc.
- Wet leaves/sewer gratings.
- Debris on the road (metal, nails, glass etc).
- Wind blast from large trucks at high speed.
- Objects falling off trucks or vehicles.
- DRIVERS NOT PAYING ATTENTION TALKING ON CELL PHONES!
In the first few weeks, getting used to the bike's characteristics is VITAL TO YOUR SURVIVAL on the streets! If you are concentrating on braking, leaning and shifting and head checks, you are not yet ready for street riding. Give yourself some time to get accustomed to your REACTIONS and your bike by riding on rural roads.
Some of the hazards I mentioned above could still confront you. But it won't be a scary as having to deal with busy urban roads, where MOST of the above hazards apply every day.
In today's society, drivers are in too much of a rush and forget to give the motorcyclist a chance to maneuver in an unexperienced fashion!
Protect yourself, ride with nother EXPERIENCED motorcyclists as a "buddy". Just as the "buddy system" for swimmers works, the buddy system for riders works as well.
The experienced rider should go ahead anticipating the traffic, and set an example for the novice on promoting safe riding. This is one of the fundamentals of safe riding and gaining that experience that new riders need which is crucial to their survival. While the safety course can teach you the fundamentals on a safet parking lot, they can't expose you to the hazards.
RIDE SAFE
...and get yourself home safely to enjoy the next day's ride!
Courtesy of http://www.bikersdown.net
