ALT-2 How to Safely Share the Road with Motorcycles
Safely sharing the road with motorcycles is a question of knowledge and defensive driving.
KNOWLEDGEAll motorists need to be aware of how motorcycles behave differently from cars on the road. Firstly, motorcycles are more responsive than other vehicles. They move quicker much of the time, but too often a motorcyclist's point of view is more limited than a car driver's, at least when the motorcyclist is wearing a helmet. Their hearing is also impeded, as compared to a car driver's, due to both the helmet and the naturally louder engine noise. Car drivers need to be aware of these impediments to motorcyclists and drive to allow for them. So leaving a larger distance between car and motorcycle is often the best method to deal with this.
Another thing about motorcycles is that they don't just stay immobile in a lane most of the time. They don't have a regular forward trajectory, so you will often see them weaving left and right as they drive. So the car driver needs to be aware of this movement and compensate for it.
DEFENSIVE DRIVINGDefensive driving means your driving allows for the errors and silliness committed by other drivers on the road. It means constant awareness of the position of other vehicles and prediction of their actions. It means that you are checking your mirrors and blind spots every minute or more.
So when you become aware that you are sharing the road with a motorcycle, try to remember what you know about motorcycles and their road behavior. Predict what the motorcyclist may due and stay constantly aware of where they are. If you are going to be sharing the road for a while, be sure to open up more distance than usual between you and the motorcycle.
With these tips, hopefully both you and the motorcycles we share the road with will remain safe.
