Riding Safe

Earlier this week a woman who rides in one of my riding grroups was killed on her way to work.

The story is that she maneuvered in front of a dump truck at a red light, the driver couldn't see her, and when the light turned he just ran right over her.

Not sure I believe she would do that, or that that's true. Doesn't matter, because she's gone.

But the story hit close enough to home,mbecause of my own get off a couple of years back.

It got me thinking. What do we do that we can share with others that ride to keep us safe?

[pnoon]

If you lane split, do it slowly and cautiously.
Even those of us who don't text and/or use a hand held phone while driving do drift within our lane.

[PCR]

Vic, I am so very sorry to her of your friends' death. When I ride, I always have my tail light blinking, wear bright clothing, watch the mirror and do anything to make sure drivers see you. Eye contact is important too. Again, I am very sorry for her death, rest in peace.

[Ogre]

Damn, that sucks. Sorry for the lose of a friend. Prayers will be said for her family.

[icehog3]

I am sorry to hear of the loss of your friend as well, Vic, my prayers to her family and friends as well.

First off, I never trust anyone...anyone...when riding. I assume every car coming to an intersection may pull out in front of me, or turn in front of me. Confidence is important, but overconfidence can be deadly.

I also believe in a combination of riding both defensively and assertively. I ride asseretively to positions of relative safety. When the position becomes "less safe", I look for a safer position and put myself in it. Not only keeps me safer, but keeps my mind engaged and doesn't allow me to daydream or take anything for granted. One might think this makes riding less enjoyable, but I find that keeping myself in the safest possible position actually makes the ride more relaxing.

Riding wll never be as safe as driving in a 4 wheeled vehicle, as the protection just isn't there....but my way of riding has kept me relatively safe in almost 30 years of riding. One crash when I was overly tired and shouldn't have been riding....my decision making skills and reflexes were severly diminished. I stayed up in that crash, with no damage to me or my bike, but some decent damage to the SUV I sideswiped after avoiding a straight on collision. The other was my recent crash when a drunk bicyclist pulled right into my path....managed to brake to about 10 MPH before hitting the ground...just minor road rash and minor damage to the bike. A relatively cheap lesson about not assuming I am safe just because there isn't an opening large enough for a car to pull out in front of me in stopped traffic.

Ride safe my friends, and I promise to do the same. Like Vic, I want all my friends around at the next herf.

[LasciviousXXX]

Originally Posted by icehog3

I am sorry to hear of the loss of your friend as well, Vic, my prayers to her family and friends as well.

First off, I never trust anyone...anyone...when riding. I assume every car coming to an intersection may pull out in front of me, or turn in front of me. Confidence is important, but overconfidence can be deadly.

I also believe in a combination of riding both defensively and assertively. I ride asseretively to positions of relative safety. When the position becomes "less safe", I look for a safer position and put myself in it. Not only keeps me safer, but keeps my mind engaged and doesn't allow me to daydream or take anything for granted. One might think this makes riding less enjoyable, but I find that keeping myself in the safest possible position actually makes the ride more relaxing.

Riding wll never be as safe as driving in a 4 wheeled vehicle, as the protection just isn't there....but my way of riding has kept me relatively safe

THIS.

Sorry to hear about your friend Vic. My condolences brother.


My rule, always ride like every other car you see is actively trying to kill you.

[newcigarz]

Sorry to hear Vic.
I always ride AGATT, i know that's not for eveyone but it's the only way I will ride.

[markem]

There are idiots in every crowd. Try not to be one of the obvious ones

[markem]

okay, in all seriousness, here are some tips from an old MSF instructor

Carry a medical information card. This is the one that my motorcycle group developed: http://micapeak.com/tools/medform.html. Put is some place obvious. I put it in a clear pouch that is velcro'd to my left sleeve.

Get trained. It isn't about learning to handle a bike normally so much as learning emergency and evasive maneuvers and how to practice them on your own. I used to teach for Team Oregon: http://team-oregon.org/. Check out the advanced rider training - it is day 1 of the course taught to motor officers throughout North America (they come here, that's how good it is).

Look at the NHTSA Traffic Safety Digest occasionally: http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/outreach/safedige/. I used to be a technical reviewer for their main motorcycle safety conference.

Be sure to know your bike. A valuable place to start is here: http://www.dansmc.com/MC_repaircourse.htm

My view on gear is that you can never have good enough when it comes to a crash. I don't ride without wearing Aerostich (http://www.aerostich.com/) but that's me (I've crashed as well). If you prefer leather, consider Langlitz Leathers: http://www.langlitz.com/. Also, as regards to a helmet, never spend more than your head is worth (think about it). Learn how to spot an expired helmet and why buying a used one can cost you your life. Held gloves are the best that I have ever found, regardless of the weather.

If you don't know about the word "conspicuity", make it your mission to learn all you can about it. "Retroreflective" is also a good one to be on intimate terms with. These two words have saved more lives than "I had to lay her down" ever did. or could.

Finally, ride like your life depends on it, because at some point it will.

[Dave128]

Sorry for the loss of your friend. Was this the accident from Halfmoon?

[maninblack]

Sorry for your loss.

[markem]

and don't forget to have some fun: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84Jehn4ZsGY

or maybe an adventure. Here's a story about one of mine. I'm wearing the yellow Aerostich jacket. http://hmarc.com/trips/Frenchglen/

[CRIMPS]

I am sorry for your loss

I don't ride motorcycles. However, I would like to add my two cents from a different approach, if I may.

I am a runner. I usually run at night, but sometimes I run in the morning. I always expect, when crossing the street or running in the street (which I try to avoid), that I won't be seen. Motorists aren't looking for motorcyclists, runners, bikers, etc. This varies, depending on the area you live in to some degree I believe. I always try to make eye contact with drivers when I can. Otherwise, I yield to them.

What I find so scary is the ever increasing motorist who isn't going to see me or you because they are texting or reading or talking on their phones. I am too too busy to research this, but I would like to know to what extent accidents have increased due to the use of phones over the last 10 years.

I saw a lady texting on her phone, with her children in the back of her suburban, drive onto the curb, almost hit three kids walking on the sidewalk, but missed them because they were able to jump out of the way. She swerved back onto the road... and then started texting again.

[Samsquanch]

This is a sobering reminder to all of us. I bike to work every morning on busy city streets and see other cyclists doing some crazy stuff sometimes, and to be honest, sometimes I'm the one doing something stupid. So sorry for your loss.

[fencefixer]

The excuse of "I didn't see them" doesn't apply.. that means they didn't look to begin with but just glanced for the outline of a car and that's about it.

While 100% I agree with Tom, the other danger itself is weekend bikers as well who are riding their bike just as a penis extension and because that's the "cool" thing to do.. you can usually tell real quick by how they stop for a red light etc.

So yes, ride as if everyone is out to get you; don't let weekend bikers stagger up with you, don't look for turn signals on cars, always assume they're not looking and are out to get you. Have an escape route handy at all times and if the escape route closes, switch lanes or do what you have to do to ride safe at the current moment and have an alternate escape route handy if **** does hit the fan at the same time.

Mark provided some very nice links for everyone to check out and as always.. practise practise practise, don't use your motorcycle to show off/penis extension/ego boost but as a bonafide method of transportation. Just because you can twist the throttle doesn't mean you know how to ride, e.g. you don't lean to take a curve; you counter steer. Learn how to completely stop your bike without putting your feet for 3 seconds and take off again and so forth.

I don't own a car and my motorcycle is my primary method of transportation; I've been riding for decades this way, snow/rain/sun doesn't matter and the stupidity/ignorance I still see today never ceases to "amaze" me.

Very sad to hear about this lady.. tragedy like this never seems to end.

Thanks all for the input guys

I consider myself a responsible, skilled, alert rider but recently have been thinking a lot about some of my habits lately. As Tom said, overconfidence can be deadly.

Mark, thanks for the links, and man, that looks like it was some dynamite trip.....

[OLS]

I don't think riders put enough pressure on other riders to be safe and garner respect.
I am not sure you can ever reach these people, but you should try. Two cases in point.
Coming home from Charlotte a week ago, Sunday night, 7pm, 8 riders merge onto the
interstate as I pass the ramp, 3 of the 8 immediately go into wheelies and fly down past me.
There are 6 lanes of traffic rolling along full of cars. The other 5 zip into and out of lanes
to reach their idiot friends as soon as possible.

Yesterday on my way home from work, I am near the front of 15 or so cars at a light,
6 lanes across, 3 in each direction and a turn lane. Guy on a motorbike zips along the
turning lane and at the last second janks it over out in front of the lead guy in the far right lane.
When the light changes he flies off, in no danger of being run over by the guy I am sure would
have loved to run him over.

I respect a motorcyclist that respects the road, other drivers and his riding brothers enough
to behave like he is on a death rocket and act accordingly. I actively hope for the arrest
or mangling death of the ones who act like we are all intruding on their stunt track and who
taunt other drivers with their unsafe bull$hi+. When you act as though you are entitled to extra
privileges just because you FIT into small spaces, you make yourself a target of scorn and abuse.
With the exception of dead stop traffic jams, I think cyclists need to maintain their position in
traffic.

Like I said, it is these people who turn other drivers away from the extra caution that should
be afforded you. I try to give a little extra respect to cyclists. I also believe they should act like
I do when I walk. I may have the right of way at intersections, but there is no WAY I am going to
walk out in front of a thing that outweighs me by so much. Especially when no one is paying attention
anymore.

You guys should do more to pressure these trained monkeys from ruining your reputation. Additionally
if there is anyone who thinks that I do not show the proper respect for the thread and the loss of the
lady's life, then perhaps the thread is mis-titled. If you want to bring attention to rider safety, you
have to face the tough issues that are in your way.

[icehog3]

Not my job, Brad.

For every hotshot cyclist abusing horsepower on a sport bike, there are 1000 kids and adults, looking down at their cell phone so they can text "Hey, what's up?" while they go 45 MPH. Why don't you teach all them to respect others on the road?

Sorry, your post just rubs me the wrong way. especially the part about wishing death on cyclists. I agree that there are lots of idiot kids and adults who ride the way you say. There are 1000 times more drivers in cars putting my life (whether I'm in my truck or on my bike) at risk every day.

[Dave128]

I'm willing to bet that most of the tragic accidents that happen to motorcycle riders can be avoided. I'm sure we'll never really know what happened to that poor woman that lost her life. Same as Brad, I'm not a fan of motorcycle riders that creep between lanes of stopped traffic to get ahead of the pack. It may not be the correct thing, the popular thing or the safe thing but, if I see them coming up between cars, I pull tighter to my neighbor so that they can't pass (I also do this to cars that try to squeeze through when a lane is clearly marked as closed or is merging up ahead - if I have to wait, so do they). It really yanks my chain when the riders think they are better or more privileged than the rest on the road. I believe they need to follow the same rules of the road that any other motor vehicle does. That being said, I don't wish injury to anyone at any time.

[OLS]

Originally Posted by Dave128

It really yanks my chain when the riders think they are better or more
privileged than the rest on the road. I believe they need to follow the same rules of the road that
any other motor vehicle does. That being said, I don't wish injury to anyone at any time.

This is also where my attitude gets so raw....You get people who at least in the words I quoted,
think they are better than other motorists, or get luxury privileges based on their extreme mobility
and compact size. And it's the same people in a lot of cases that complain they don't get any
respect, or the same respect as other drivers. In this case, you really DON'T get to have it
both ways. I just saw Easy Rider the other night on commercial TV and I felt really bad for D. Hopper
and P. Fonda. I guess they suffered for the bad, too.

Look, it's a real shame that cyclists are in such danger and get so little respect in this 'everyone has
a phone in use in their car at all times" world. But 1/4 of you are SCREWING the other 3/4 of you, too.