Riding Safely
The topic should actually be rephrased to cycles as opposed to motorcycles as it's a worldwide issue on vehicular transport (recreation or not) on two wheels. From a 3 year old toddler on bright 9 inch wheels and training guides to 70 year old Old Aged Pensioner on motorised cycles, they are basically a nuisance from Down Under in New Zealand to Far Eastern corners of Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia to terror on legs in London and New York despatch riders. Motorised or not they pose a danger to the public, pedestrians or Motor Vehicles (cars,trucks,buses etc) as they are nimble and small sized.
One aspect of the law dates back to the 1850s 'whereupon a vehicle on wheels must be used on a public highway,driven manually or horse-drawn carriages'.And so we have the common day nuisance, the motorcycles (motorbikes) and the Bicycles and Tricycles (motorised or not). Being only 20% the size of a motor car, they tend to squeeze in between any vehicle with just a meter of gap or about 3 feet 5 inches to get where they need to go. As in the case of bicycles, they even go on the pedestrian pavements. But we look into the aspect as to HOW TO SHARE THE ROAD SAFELY with them. Having to collide with a two wheeler means we are in the wrong, however the law look at it as we are the offending party being the bigger sized for "not having due diligence and taking care during the maneuvering of the vehicle and failure to check for oncoming traffic at the blind spots'.
Every minute, a motorcyclist / cyclist is killed in a road accident, either no fault of them, due to road conditions to act of God as it gives no protection against the elements. I am a medical doctor who, at times, have to deploy my services on my scooter (moped as it's only 150cc, 7BHp) at speeds of excess of 120KM/H or 60MPH! Zipping in and out of the streets of Malaysia and Singapore to get to the patient before the ambulance arrives is critical. Same to the McDonalds delivery boy delivering BigMacs and Fries before it gets soggy. It is understandable as to the frustration as a driver of a car or truck especially when they zip across the road, sometimes, beating the red light or jumping it seconds before turning green and bam, crash into a late turner.
Rules of the game are simple:
1) DO NOT run the red light. Brake even if is still amber. Just green is good, seconds after green is a little dangerous as you don't know if someone is beating it.
2) If you are at a corner junction, check all your spots, ESPECIALLY THE PAVEMENTS. A child may be crossing the street with her pink bike. Hit them and you will loose your livelihood as it's attempted murder in some countries.
3) Avoid the extreme slow lane (left for Commonwealth, Right for the rest) near a bridge during a rainy season or during a downpour. Motorcyclist will take shelter under them as you won't be able to see them till it's late.
4) Stay clear of dirty / sandy / unlevel roads or streets as the motorcyclist will take evasive action to avoid them especially potholes. We will try to avoid potholes as it causes damage to the vehicle, so it's even worse for the small guy.
5) Keep a safe distance between vehicles. Take a 6 second rule when there is a motorcyclist hazard.
6) Install more blind spot mirrors. They can see you but we might miss them!
7) Triple check before reversing
8) Be patient! They pay the same tax and have the same right as you do.
9) If you re in a rush, they are in the same boat as you.
Even now, that the Emergency Response Services like Fire or Medic goes off on 2 wheels in many build up areas to respond to the call and contain the damage or assess the triage before the main team arrives. So it's more essential to look out for them and their sirens. One tip is to reduce the volume on the stereo so we can hear their irritating sound of their machines or beepers,warning us of their presence, otherwise, the next time a biker stop you on the road is the man in white and blue handing you a ticket to court.
