ALT-6 Motorcycle Safety
You've taken a safe riding course. Assuming you're riding a well-maintained bike, you've checked the tires, signal lights and cables, and you're wearing all the safety equipment and clothing you're comfortable with - what can you do on the road to stay alive?
The first rule is to practice paranoia. Never relax and let your mind drift as car drivers often do. Watch all the traffic around and behind you, and keep asking yourself: "What's the stupidest thing that driver can do? And what would I do about it?" Once in a while a driver will do just that, and then you'll be a bit more ready to deal with the crisis.
Pay special caution to vehicles that could turn left in front of you. Watch their front tires as well as signals; not all drivers will signal a left, but they all have to turn their front tires. Similarly, watch the front tires of vehicles on side streets or stop-signs who could pull in front of you. if their front wheels start to roll, hit your brakes.
When you're stopped at a stop sign or stop light for a while, keep the bike in first gear, and watch your mirrors. Bikers have been killed by distracted drivers rear-ending them at stops; at least, with your bike in gear, you have a chance to pull out of the way in time.
The second is to give, and put yourself in, the right space. Do not follow, or allow yourself to be followed, too closely. Potential contact with another vehicle is always dangerous, of course, but so is the fact that you can't see around the nearby vehicle to watch for the potential problems ahead or behind. On a two-lane road, ride in the left path of your lane, which avoids the slippery oil drips along the lane center, and gives you more places to go in an emergency.
On multi-lane highways, where drivers are cutting in and out of lanes, the safest place to ride is either the passing lane, with you the right of center; the second safest is the right hand lane, to the left of center. In these lanes you have to worry about drivers cutting in from only one side, rather than two.The safest speed is to stay with the traffic flow, or ride slightly faster, so that you are passing rather than being passed, and potentially cut off. The maniacs who ride way faster than prevailing traffic seldom live to see their insurance premiums go up.
As well as exercising caution on wet roads (don't forget ones that have just been washed, as well as as during/after rain), watch out for grooved sections, where the final surface has not been replaced; grooves will affect your steering far more than a car's. Keep an eye out for non-watery gleams on the pavement, spills or leaks of oil or fuel, which can be very slippery. If you live in a northern climate, too, you may encounter unexpected piles of sand or gravel left over from winter highway operations.
If you do find yourself on a slick, grooved, sandy, or otherwise uncertain surface, the best thing to do is nothing. Don't brake or change speed; don't try to turn. The less you spend of the little traction you have, the safer you'll be.If a small animal runs in front of you, it's safer to go over it rather than suddenly swerving or jamming on your brakes, which can lead to another vehicle hitting you.
Remember, you can have more fun staying alive.
