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Tag: motorcycle safety

What Motorcyclists Want You to Know – Part Four
Welcome to Part Four of my ongoing quest to create awareness and understanding between motorcyclists and drivers. I’ve written many thousands of words on the subject — in Part One, Part Two, Part Three of this series as well as talking about ambassadorship and managing risk on the road.
If you’re not inclined to read those or any further in this post, at least have a peek at these 10 basic things from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation “For Car Drivers” program that you should know. I hope that will inspire you to come back here and read more about the completely avoidable risks and challenges we face in sharing the road with drivers.
This driver was halfway over the center line and didn’t begin correcting until they saw the oncoming traffic. A common and unacceptable driving habit on a straight road, much less in curves with obstructed sight lines.
Stay in the lines
For Pete’s sake, stay in your lane! You’d think this would go without saying. Of course you need to maintain your lane discipline to avoid hitting another vehicle, right? But you’d be amazed how many times a day I encounter drivers drifting over the center line. Sometimes a little, sometimes a lot. But even with just a little, I’m already planning how to avoid you if I can because I don’t know if you’re going to correct in time or not.
Lack of lane discipline stems from two sources: distraction or laziness. Both are easily preventable. So stop the distracted driving that is causing the problem. What you consider a little “oopsie” has dire consequences for the people around you, especially those of us not surrounded by a steel cage. Even if you don’t hit us, you’re causing us to take evasive action. That can be equally problematic for us if we are forced into a scenario that’s nearly as dangerous as you barreling into us.
Maintaining your lane also goes for not cutting into the shoulder in curves. Did you know you drag all sorts of debris and rocks into the roadway when you do that? That sucks for motorcyclists and bicyclists. It also forces us into narrower travel paths, reducing our options for choosing a safe line. Not to mention, it erodes shoulders and road edges, creating ongoing hazards for everyone—and more tax dollars to repair. Quite unnecessarily.
Too lazy or too distracted to stay in the lane? Either way, this creates road hazards for those who follow.
Standing and weaving
We riders are often subject to knee-jerk criticism with regard to our actions. But what non-riding drivers often perceive as show-boating or recklessness is anything but. Let me be perfectly clear. If I suddenly stand up on the pegs, change lanes quickly, or move my position within my lane, I’m either avoiding a hazard or I’m trying to help you see me.
Those lateral and vertical movements get your attention because they’re incongruous to the motion of a vehicle simply moving straight towards you. Hopefully along with my lighting and hi-viz gear, you get the message.
Behind the load
You may see us staying way back from trucks carrying loads—gravel trucks, pickup trucks with cargo, livestock trailers, and the like. You may be annoyed how far back I’m staying but trust me when I say I want to pass as soon as I’m safely able.
Anything that comes off of those types of vehicles is bad news for us riders. We can’t stay behind them without great risk so the best thing we can do is to allow extra space until we can get around them.
Don’t worry, though, once I do pass, I will do it decisively. You won’t be held up one bit since I can get past way that vehicle more quickly than you can.
This tractor trailer was blown into the shoulder by a huge gust of wind. Just one of the many reasons to give them lots of space.
Tractor trailers
The situation with tractor trailers is similar. The wind buffeting we take off of them can be hellish. So again, I’ll stay way back until I can pass. Being next to a semi is tremendously dangerous for any vehicle but infinitely more so for a motorcycle. Truck drivers don’t want any of us hanging out next to them, either.
So I’ll pass in a quick burst once there is no vehicle blocking my ability to completely pass a semi. I’m not going to hang out and lackadaisically pass a massive truck, waiting for the car in front of me to get serious about passing.
Semis are also at high risk for tire blowouts. I don’t know about you, but I’m not interested in being on the receiving end of one of those. They also can’t maneuver quickly to compensate for wind or hazards.
Those big rigs may not be nimble. But I am. So I’ll use that to my advantage when sharing the road with them. They need space. I’m happy to give it to them.
Motorcycles and cars alike need to give tractor trailers respect and space.
Yard waste
It’s becoming illegal in more and more places to blow your wet grass clippings into a roadway. For good reason. It’s a storm water pollutant, for one. And that debris is slicker than owl shit. For those of us on two wheels, it compromises our traction greatly. Don’t do it.
We’re all in this together
I’ve written a lot on the whole sharing-the-road topic. And without fail, someone points out that riders can be shitty, too. Yep. Without a doubt.
Riders are not infallible. We are not saints. And we do not all share the same mindset and values. Just like any other group, there are those few that set a negative tone for all of us. Trust me, it’s frustrating. Just remember to calibrate for negativity bias before relieving yourself of the responsibility to understand all road users and be a decent driver.
And yes, we riders make mistakes and misjudgments in traffic situations. But you have to remember, by the nature of our vehicles, we have way more motivation to be at the top of our game. Because we are all too aware of the consequences of a lapse in judgment while on the bike.
Many drivers don’t have that awareness, though, for themselves or those around them. For drivers, there’s a disconnect because you’re in a steel box. For riders, we are out there in it every moment, completely exposed.
My Moto Guzzi at the intersection where I was almost killed by a driver who “didn’t see me.” There’s only so much I can do to ride defensively. You need to be a part of the process.
Remember your humanity
I hope my words help bring a little bit of humanity back to the roads.
There’s a common wisdom in the motorcycling community —
Motorcycling, is not, in and of itself inherently dangerous. It is, however, extremely unforgiving of inattention, ignorance, incompetence, or stupidity.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t only apply to we riders. It also applies to drivers we share the road with. Our own mistakes will cause us harm, yes. And that’s on us to manage. But we’re more likely to face that lack of forgiveness at the hands of drivers. We are always the ones who lose in car-versus-motorcycle encounters. As I’ve said before , don’t be the person who ruins someone else’s life.
I’m watching the road closely so we can all get home safely. I need to you do the same, my friends.
Adventure on, friends.

May 30, 2019
What Motorcyclists Want You to Know – Part Three
Motorcycling is amazing. It’s my favorite pursuit. It’s not a hobby. For me, it’s a lifestyle and a value system.
You know what’s not fun? The constant battle to stay safe on the road. In a sea of drivers who don’t prioritize the driving task or lack proper risk assessment, we have to make up that gap as much as we can. It’s an undue burden and the stakes are exponentially higher for vulnerable road users like us motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians.
That’s why I write from time to time about the things we need drivers to know. Some folks would say I’m tilting at windmills but I’m not going to succumb to resignation that my message won’t reach at least one person who finds some enlightenment as a result.
I sort of embrace a role as a motorcycling ambassador. It’s an unplanned journey I started when I talked about some basic things we riders need you to know in part 1 of this series. That was followed by an attempt to upend outdated, unfair perceptions in Part Two.
But it’s time to add a bit more to the list. To that end, here’s another installment of some things you need to know when we’re sharing the road together.
Riding is my passion. I work hard to be a better rider. But there’s only so much I can do if the drivers around me aren’t doing their part.
Stick the stop
Embrace the gymnast’s mentality of “sticking the landing” when you’re coming to a stop. Stick that sucker! That means come to a complete stop. And stay stopped. Then don’t just look or glance at oncoming traffic—SEE the traffic.
If a rider is approaching, don’t move until the bike has passed you. If you never stop rolling—or start rolling again before we’re past you—we must guess your intentions. You may see the motorcycle and are planning on pulling out behind it. Or you may be about to pull out into us because you didn’t see the bike. There’s absolutely no way for us to know which.
I know having some momentum helps you get into the flow of traffic but if you are moving, that requires me to be prepared to take evasive action. At a minimum I’m going to honk and flash lights at you to make sure I have your attention. Or I may have to slow down, which slows you down too. Or I may make a sudden lane change if possible, putting myself at risk because I’m banking on the others drivers around me being aware. Let’s face it, that’s not a good bet, really.
If you are accelerating from a complete stop, I have more time to react and anticipate. The microseconds longer it takes you to complete the stop and begin moving again are exactly what we need. And that is the difference between life and death for riders.
A complete stop is necessary, especially when riders are going by. If you find that inconvenient, you may need to re-evaluate your priorities.
Cool your jets
Related to sticking the stop, is to not come into it burning hot. If you’re racing up, others around you don’t know if you’re planning to stop or slow at all. Hell, we don’t know if you even notice the stop ahead of you. We’re preparing for you to blow through. We may end up taking unnecessary evasive action which puts us at risk for no reason.
So consider how your movement looks to others on the road who have little means to communicate with you. You know your intentions but no one else does. We don’t know if you’ve seen us! We can’t read your mind—only your actions as we see them from afar.
That’s why we have the saying “Ride like you’re invisible.” I absolutely must assume that you don’t see me. That’s the default. So you have to show me that you do see me.
Stop. Look. See. And don’t move until we’re past you. In this scenario, I have nowhere to go if you pull out because you didn’t see me.
Give us some room
Leave some space! You’re the key to mitigating the far-too-common chain reaction pile-ups that are the result of the rear-end domino situation. If you leave proper space from the vehicle in front of you, that ends. It’s one of the simplest habits we can employ that would eliminate a huge amount of crashes for every type of vehicle every year.
That proper stopping distance certainly helps everyone on the road, but imagine being a rider in the middle of that pile-up. Obviously that goes way worse for us than someone in a car. The motorcycle sandwich scenario is why you’ll always see me checking my mirrors, even if you are completely stopped behind me.
I’m positioned to watch the vehicle behind you to make sure they’re stopping as well. I’m ready to (hopefully) slide out into a turn lane, shoulder, or in between lanes if it looks like they won’t stop in time and ram you into me. If you leave proper distance, I don’t have to be on high alert every moment of the stop.
We leave space so we have room to respond. We need you to leave space, too.
The take-away
As you can tell, I give traffic situations a lot of attention and thought. My life depends on it. The most important considerations I hope you take away from this are:
- Just drive. Stop the distractions and we’ll have won most of the battle. Driving is a complicated task. Give it the attention it deserves so everyone makes it home safely. Don’t just take my word for it, read this white paper from The National Safety Council and rethink your behavior.
- Be aware of how your actions look to other road-users and how they impact them. Mentally step out of your car-bubble and consider what you’re communicating (or not) to those around you.
- Remember that when you mess up, we have to react. Quickly. And the likelihood that will not work out well for us is very high. You can cause someone else to crash even if you didn’t hit them, car or motorcycle alike.
Adventure on, friends. Keep your eyes open for us out there!
Look twice. And then one more time. There are more of us than you realize.
May 23, 2019
What Motorcyclists Want You to Know – Part Two
In my previous installment of what riders need drivers to understand, I talked about the practical points of motorcycling. Those things, involving safety and etiquette, keep riders and drivers alike healthy, happy, and in one piece on the road. If you missed that one or need a refresher read, you can find it here.
As Motorcyclist Awareness Month comes to a close though, I’ve been wanting to address the elephant in the room. Namely, the perceptions and judgements riders face that set the stage for misunderstanding, and sometimes, hostility.
Let’s face it, stereotyping is a bad practice. We’ve all done it and been subject to it no matter what group we are lumped into. Pick any group, there’s a stereotype.
Motorcyclists are no different. This tendency toward oversimplification and lack of understanding is a far-reaching issue of humanity. Since that can’t possibly be adequately addressed, much less solved, on my little blog today, I’m just going to focus on motorcyclists.
Representation
There are a couple of stereotypical images that may come to mind when a non-rider thinks of motorcyclists or “bikers.” Guess what?
1. That’s just the tip of the iceberg of the kind of people who ride.
2. No matter what you think of their appearance, they are still people with the right to ride. And in my experience, they’re usually very nice.
3. There are many styles of riding that the stereotypes overlook.
4. Riders come from all walks of life. And women are a quickly growing segment of the riding population. For some perspective, check out what women riders look like around the world.
5. The vast majority of us are nice people and responsible riders.
A bad name
Which brings me to Squids. These are the riders that give the rest of us a bad name. They’re the reckless ones careening down the road, quite often in t-shirts and sandles. And they are a very small minority of riders.
With that in mind, here are a couple of thoughts from fellow riders:
There is a whole other side to motorcycling and motorcyclists come from all walks of life – mechanics, dentists, lawyers, teachers, etc., and the really neat thing in the motorcycling community is that no one cares what you do for a living.
The likes of Sons of Anarchy do not represent the motorcycling community. They are the exception, not the rule.
We all don’t wear Tupperware helmets wearing flip flops doing wheelies acting the fool.
As a former rider, I’d like to say it’s important for drivers to not take out their frustration with the jackasses who ride on the rest of us that are just enjoying the road.
A band of “irresponsible hooligans” getting proper training at the Motorcycle Safety Foundation.
Road use
There are advantages for drivers when riders are on bikes instead of in cars. At Horizons Unlimited in Virginia this year, I got to chat with a good many riders about this subject.
One well-traveled rider who has ridden extensively around the world mentioned the strange phenomenon of American drivers — that we’re extremely territorial. In the U.S., anything that resembles line-cutting or is (wrongly) interpreted at getting “unfairly” ahead of traffic meets with vigilante justice from drivers.
Whereas in Europe, motorcyclists are expected to move to the front of slow or stopped traffic and drivers actively make way for them. Once traffic starts moving again, motorcycles have the ability to move out more quickly than autos. And guess what? It reduces traffic congestion and gets everyone where they want to be much more quickly. When all road users work together, the climate on the road is better for everyone.
So I hope you’ll take a step back the next time you’re disgruntled with a rider. Is that person really being a jerk? Or are you just in a bad mood? Or could you have misinterpreted their actions? It’s called actor/observer bias and it’s worth having a healthy self-check on that when you’re behind the wheel.
Often times, a rider needs to take evasive action from another driver. To you that might appear as aggressive when there is a very good chance the rider is putting space between them and an inattentive driver. And no matter what your conclusion, remember it isn’t your place as a civilian driver to enforce laws or your perception of them.
Most of us go to great lengths and expense to get properly geared up for riding.
Stories
As riders, we are subject to a constant barrage of horror stories. Please stop. We’ve heard it. We know. Hearing about your brother’s friend’s cousin who got creamed by a car running a stop sign isn’t going to keep us off the bike. Your intentions might be altruistic or sympathetic but they are misguided and short-sighted.
Instead of insisting motorcycling is dangerous, how about you just help us stay safe on the road? Remember most car vs. motorcycle crashes are caused by drivers.
The big picture
Preformed judgements and skeptical attitudes towards us, or anyone for that matter, do no good and often do a great deal of harm. For motorcyclists, that mindset means we are in danger from drivers who don’t value us as people. It’s one more way we’re invisible. That doesn’t end well for us.
Yes, there are bad actors in our basket. Just like any other group. But that minority should not set the tone for how the rest of us are treated.
Look twice
Thanks for reading. I hope you’ll take all of the messages from Motorcyclist Awareness Month to heart year-round. We are riders but we’re also moms, dads, sons, daughters, friends — you get the idea. We’re human. And vulnerable. Look Twice.
I’m a rider. One of the growing number of women who enjoy motorcycling. It’s time to rethink what motorcyclists look like.
Ready for more? Read Part One, Part Three, and Part Four of this series. Or read up on my thoughts about being an ambassador for the motorcycling community.
Adventure on, friends.
May 28, 2015
What Motorcyclists Want You to Know – Part One
I’ve been noodling on this piece for some time. The importance of it escalated for me after being taken out by a careless driver in January. I’m slowly regaining ground physically and emotionally but it’s been a long road.
In the aftermath of the crash, so many of the challenges and stigmas motorcyclists face rained down on me in a very personal way. But bigger than the criticisms and misunderstandings from non-riders was the outpouring of support from the motorcycling community. It makes me proud to be a part of that world and surrounded by great people.
It’s clear to me that creating understanding and cooperation between riders and drivers will always be an ongoing challenge. It’s a daunting task to say the least. As you can imagine — me being who I am — I’m not going to shy away from that challenge. So here’s the first in a series of posts that I hope will help bridge that gap.
Background
There are 8.5 million motorcyclists in the United States alone, that’s about 1 in 36. Chances are, you know more than one motorcyclist.
And for all of the motorcyclists out there, we all have different motivations and stories behind why we ride. It’s a diverse and active community united by our love of two-wheeled adventures. So I tapped into this community to put together these tidbits we all want you to know because there is so much non-riders need to understand about us. We must share the road and riders are at a distinct disadvantage when things go badly.
Unlike hopping in your car, riders need to do a pre-ride inspection of their bikes before they set out. Our safety depends on it.
Safety Issues Riders Face
Distraction
This is the queen mother of safety issues. Driving is a time to pay attention. Put down the phone, set your music before you start driving, get the GPS locked and loaded, ignore the kids in the backseat, etc. Keep your eyes on the road. Not just for us, but for every bicyclist, pedestrian, and other driver on the road. And for yourself. Please. As one of my respondents said:
I see distracted driving as part of a larger problem, which is people taking driving for granted and not viewing it as something that demands their full attention and actual mental effort to actually be proficient at it. There is more to operating a motor vehicle than simply operating a motor vehicle.
Don’t dismiss distracted driving as something other people do. Or that you’re better at handling it. Just stop.
Turns
Left-turn impacts account for half of the driver-caused motorcycle accidents. And that’s exactly what happened to me. Make sure your assessment of whether or not it’s clear to to turn is not based on car-or-no-car, but a true evaluation of road users present. All of them. Watch this video for a little more perspective.
Riders are not surrounded by a steel cage. You mess up, we pay the price. “I didn’t see you” is not an acceptable response for destroying someone’s life.
Mirrors
Don’t rely on your mirrors. Blind spots are aptly named. And remember auto detect side warning sensors may not pick up motorcycles. You must be an active, engaged driver. Nothing will replace carefully looking over your shoulder to check for another vehicle before changing lanes. This is another scenario motorcyclists frequently find themselves on the losing end of when it comes to sharing the road with cars. And you might just be surprised how to properly adjust your side mirrors to minimize blind spots.
Space
Motorcycles aren’t simply two-wheeled automobiles. Bumps, debris, holes, tar snakes, flat tires, oil slicks, and the like have very different, and much greater, implications for us. As does wind and rain. When passing or following, giving us space is crucial. We may have to swerve or stop suddenly for a hazard a car may not. And crowding us means you may force us into a path of travel that is dangerous for a motorcycle. A fellow rider mentioned:
Car drivers don’t understand is that when passing a motorcycle, they need to give the biker the whole lane. They often just straddle the centerline, passing a motorcycle with a near miss, rather than moving over into the passing lane.
Perception
Motorcycles are smaller so it’s more difficult to judge our speed. When in doubt, give us space and plan accordingly. The nature of our machines means we accelerate more quickly than cars but that doesn’t mean we’re being unsafe. We didn’t “come out of nowhere,” trust me. As drivers, obviously we have to consider all of the other potential road users and that they won’t look and act like automobiles.
Cigarette butts
Yes, even cigarette butts area a problem. Tossing a cigarette butt out the window is littering, a fire hazard, and just repugnant in general. And when it lands smack in the middle of your chest while you’re trying to operate a motorcycle, the wind is keeping it pressed against you and it begins burning your jacket, it becomes a very big problem. Sounds like a rare event, doesn’t it? Nope. I’ve had it happen many times.
The big picture
All of these challenges don’t mean we don’t belong on the road. All users have a right to be on the road. But some are more vulnerable than others. Three fellow riders I admire had this to say:
Many car drivers seem not to understand that when we are on our bikes we are not surrounded by two tons of steel and protected by air bags. So a collision, that in a car would only be inconvenient, can be fatal to a motorcyclist.
Everyone, everywhere should remember it’s not all about you. Do not make excuses and maintain your humanity. Be mindful and deliberate.
I want them to understand that under all this gear is a real live person. The motorcyclist you seem to be trying to kill is the suburban dad you might have smiled at in line at the grocer’s with his daughter. He’s the neighbor you wave to when he’s out walking his dog. He’s the guy you saw walking down the street with his girlfriend. He’s just like you.
(Not so) final words
Many riders spend a great deal of energy doing everything they can to be seen by employing special gear, bike modifications, and riding techniques. When you have one segment of the road user population going to such extraordinary lengths to protect themselves from another one that is simply unaware and disengaged, there’s a problem. But it’s a fixable one.
In the aftermath of this, I was told people aren’t going to change. I don’t believe that. Awareness is very powerful. If the information in this post helps save even one motorcyclist, bicyclist, or pedestrian, I’m good with that. Please help me prove that people can grow and change. Be the person that makes the change.
When people hear my story, I often hear “Motorcycles are so dangerous!” My response? “No. You are.” Stop the cop out. Pay attention. Most car vs. motorcycle crashes are caused by car drivers.
Ready for more? Read Part Two, Part Three, and Part Four of this series. Or read up on my thoughts about being an ambassador for the motorcycling community.
Adventure on, friends. And look for motorcycles.
May 6, 2015