Street Rider's Guide. David L. Hough
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you’re using the motorcycle for commuting whenever the weather allows. And the more you ride in traffic, the more aggressive you become. Driving the car, it’s normal to sit in line waiting for traffic to move. Riding the bike, you can see farther ahead, be more aware of dynamic traffic patterns, and change lanes to take advantage of faster moving traffic.
This morning, someone in the right lane is dawdling, so you’re glancing over your left shoulder to see if there’s a gap in the left lane. But before you can jump over there, your peripheral vision picks up the brake lights of the truck ahead of you, and you realize the traffic signal has turned red. You squeeze the brake lever, but it’s too late. Your front wheel bashes into the back of the truck, and the bike topples over. It’s not a high-speed collision, but you’re in pain from slamming into the handlebars and then tumbling to the pavement. Worse yet, the collision is your fault.
Riding a bike in commuter traffic requires both proficient skills and good situational awareness. Yes, you can accelerate, brake, and change lanes quickly on a bike, but surviving day after day in heavy traffic requires that you be fully aware of what’s happening and not take any unnecessary risks.
It’s not wise to follow too closely in stop-and-go traffic or to assume that you have some privilege to weave around other vehicles. In this situation, you should have dropped back a little farther behind the truck ahead and maintained better awareness of the traffic signals. A collision is a wake-up call that your riding is getting too aggressive.
Bike Traps
One more reason to stay out of the center of the lane.
You’re on your way to a friend’s house. It’s not far, and it’s a warm day, so you decide to forgo your riding gear. For some reason, everyone seems to be creeping along, and when traffic does start to move, every red light catches the truck ahead of you. You’re concerned about your engine overheating and anxious to get moving. You can just see a bit of the signals for the cross street, and, when you see the amber, you prepare to get moving without wasting any time.
But, shortly after the truck begins to move, your front wheel suddenly dives into a slot in the pavement, and the bike comes to a sudden stop, resting on the brake rotors. You’re thrown over the handlebars to tumble across the pavement. It’s a slow-speed crash, but you’re now bleeding and in pain. Apparently, there were some steel plates covering a construction trench, with a narrow gap between the plates. You couldn’t see the plates or the gap because the truck was straddling them. It wasn’t a hazard for other vehicles, but it was a serious hazard for a motorcycle.
It’s important to maintain your awareness of the road surface, as well as monitor traffic and signal lights. It’s not clever to pull up close behind another vehicle at a stop because that limits your view of what might be underneath. It’s also a good idea to stop in one of the wheel tracks rather than in the middle of the lane because the vehicles ahead can be hiding a surface hazard. It’s smarter to favor the left-wheel track of the vehicle ahead and to leave at least one additional bike length to better see hazards such as debris, spilled oil, edge traps, and potholes.
As your hands and arms gradually heal from the “road rash,” you’ll probably be reminding yourself to wear your protective riding gear on every ride—even for a short trip across town.
Blind Drivers
If you ride in a driver’s blind spot, you’re risking a collision.
With gas prices on the rise, you’re riding the bike to work more and more. While driving your car, you hadn’t been as aware of the complexities of traffic, but riding the bike, you’re getting a quick education. Riding the bike takes a lot more concentration. There’s no such thing as a simple “fender bender” for a motorcyclist.
The weather wasn’t bad this morning, but on your commute home it’s started to rain, causing you some additional concern. You try to stay out of the center of the lane to avoid the usual grease strip, and you leave lots of following distance behind the car ahead in case traffic begins to slow.
Suddenly, the van on your left swerves into your lane, almost running into you. You’re startled by the sudden intrusion, but you manage to swerve over to the right edge of the lane and blow your horn. The van driver doesn’t seem to notice and keeps moving right, across your lane and into the next lane. Apparently, he’s headed for the next off-ramp. As you’re forced into the exit lane, you finally realize what’s happening and gingerly reach for the front brake. You barely managed to avoid being sideswiped by the van, and you’re furious.
Yes, the van driver was at fault for changing lanes without signaling, but you set yourself up for a collision by riding in the driver’s blind spot. Most vehicles have blind spots at the rear quarters, left and right. The driver very likely couldn’t see you there, especially with his or her windows and mirrors wet and foggy. In this situation, you should have either pulled up ahead of the van or dropped back farther behind it to give the driver a better chance of noticing you. And when he did pull over, you should have immediately eased on the brakes to separate yourself.
Blind-spot Blunders
Do you think that truck driver in the next lane sees you?
Traffic is bumper to bumper on the freeway this afternoon, so you’re riding on full alert. You try to leave enough following distance to avoid running into the car ahead but not so much space as to encourage someone to jump into it. You can’t do much to avoid being hit from behind other than to drop back a little more and make sure you dab on the rear brake enough to light up your brake light. It’s frustrating and dangerous to be squeezed in between larger vehicles as traffic moves forward a few feet at a time and then stops. Finally, you see what the problem is: the right lane is closed ahead, and all those vehicles must merge into the left lane.
Most of the drivers are politely allowing alternate vehicles to merge, and you plan to do the same. But you’re now alongside four trucks, and one of the trucks ahead is already starting to wedge into the left lane. You ease into the left-wheel track to give yourself more space.
Suddenly, you realize the van next to you is moving over. You beep your horn, but the trucker just keeps coming, and you are forced over onto the narrow shoulder to avoid a collision. You accelerate up beside the cab, beeping your horn and waving a fist, and the driver finally sees you, but there is nothing he or she can do now, other than to allow you to merge in front of him or her.
Accept the fact that bikes are small and difficult to see in traffic, and even harder to see in a trucker’s mirrors. Riding at the left side of your lane alongside a truck puts you in the trucker’s blind spot. The trucker really couldn’t see you there. You should never “park” in the blind spot of another vehicle, especially not a truck. Consider moving up alongside the cab. Beep your horn and give the driver a “thumbs up” to announce your presence in a friendly manner. Or, drop back to make room for the truck and flash your headlight to signal the driver you are clear of the truck’s back end. The trucker will probably show appreciation by flashing the taillights as a “thank you.”
Bucking Bumps
You can handle a little bump, right?
You’ve cleared away enough home projects to be able to get away for a weekend ride. The weather is perfect, the bike is running great, and you’re looking forward to a two-day trip to clear your head. You’ve ridden this same highway many times, and you know its tricks and turns, so you can relax and enjoy the ride.
A few miles out of town, you’re surprised to see dust ahead on the paved highway. You’re wondering if there has been an accident. But then you see some construction signs. You slow down to about 40 mph, and when you see