Emergency braking or brake and escape

[p.dath]

It seems to me a lot of emphasis is put on emergency braking, where you attempt to bring the bike to a complete halt in the shortest distance possible.

I wonder if in fact so much emphasis is placed on this that we sometimes loose sight of the ultimate goal, the avoidance or lessening of injury (ignoring the issue of being in a situation that could lead to the need for such manoeuvre in the first place).

An alternative (which goes by many names) is brake and escape, where the aim is to reduce your speed, and then simply escape from the danger (usually by either swerving of by taking advantage of a gap which you have already seen by scanning ahead prior to the "emergency" occurring).

It also strikes me that the techniques for emergency braking versus brake and escape are quite different.

I also ponder where emergency braking (using the above definition I gave) has come from. I wonder if it has come from older times were bikes were not as manoeuvrable (so brake and escape really wasn't an easy option), or perhaps it originated from the earlier days of motorcycling when front drum brakes were more common and hence stopping the bike and doing anything else was simply so much harder than it is now. Or perhaps it came from a time when the density of traffic on roads was far less, and you didn't need to worry about the traffic around you so much.

I appreciate that a complete beginner who has just completed their BHS course and got their learners licence is unlikely to have counter steering skills, so emergency braking is the easier skill to learn.


So what do you think? Do we place too much emphasis on being able to stop a bike in the shortest distance? Should we be placing more emphasis on being able to escape from danger instead?

[sinfull]

I used to tell the Mrs she thinks too much !

But you take the cake !

[Metastable]

Ya the goal is to avoid a collision or crash trying to avoid a collision.

The techniques are pretty much the same IMO.... except you don't come to a full stop with brake and escape.... but up until you decide to maneuver they are identical.

Key things:
1 - look where you want to go (so don't look at the car or dog or whatever)
2 - keep a mental note of escape routes so you know where you can go
3 - trust your bike.... you can brake REALLY hard... and steer hard.

[steve_t]

I think you're right in that "Brake and escape" requires a more advanced skill set and more bike control than just "emergency braking". Not that "emergency braking" deserves the 'just' as it is a valuable skill to learn and practice in its own right.
I would think that teaching emergency braking to new riders is the right thing to do and brake and escape be a technique they are told of, but to be practiced at more advanced training days when they have better bike control through experience. Just MHO

[vifferman]

The situation dictates your action: if you're situationally aware, the you'll do whatever is best to avoid (or minimise harm).

[slofox]

When I encountered a wild sheep (it was wild after I hit it...) on the highway last year, I didn't even have time to consider what to do. In fact, I hardly braked at all because it seemed in that split second that getting around the dumbarse thing was the only way to go. I knew instantly that I did not have time to come to a complete stop so I didn't even try - I pushed on to get around it before it closed the gap. Didn't quite work out as I did bang into it but not badly enough to chuck me off - I stayed upright, apart from a bit of a lateral leap and carried on my merry way.

The point being that in such circumstances you don't have time to think about what to do. Pretty much what vifferman says - the situation dictates your action.

EDIT: Mind you, I did manage a front wheel lockup this morning when a truck came hurtling at me - now that's a first! (And no I didn't fall off...)

[Motu]

I wonder if it has come from older times were bikes were not as manoeuvrable (so brake and escape really wasn't an easy option), or perhaps it originated from the earlier days of motorcycling when front drum brakes were more common and hence stopping the bike and doing anything else was simply so much harder than it is now. Or perhaps it came from a time when the density of traffic on roads was far less, and you didn't need to worry about the traffic around you so much.

I think you have this backwards - these days brakes and tyres are so good that a bike stops much quicker.In earlier days when most brakes couldn't lock a front wheel,escape was always top of the agender...the brakes would just slow you down while frantically looking for a way out.

[Spazman727]

When I encountered a wild sheep (it was wild after I hit it...) on the highway last year, I didn't even have time to consider what to do. In fact, I hardly braked at all because it seemed in that split second that getting around the dumbarse thing was the only way to go. I knew instantly that I did not have time to come to a complete stop so I didn't even try - I pushed on to get around it before it closed the gap. Didn't quite work out as I did bang into it but not badly enough to chuck me off - I stayed upright, apart from a bit of a lateral leap and carried on my merry way. [/SIZE]

In situations with animals you probably cant predict what theyre gonna do so it'd be pretty hard to choose the right option for the situation. Fortunately I havnt been in that situation...yet.

[george formby]

This has been on my mind since a recent thread about emergency braking. I cannot remember the last time i did an emergency stop but I do remember some emergency swerves on wet & dry roads. It happens so quick that good instincts are the only thing that get you through. Hard braking, down changing(maybe), looking for the gap, gauging suspension load whilst relaxing the brake's & maneuvering, body position to balance bike, assessing what else is happening around you (preferably knowing already) etc. Gawd, it's a lot of thinking in a tiny bit of time & I don't remember any of it. Probably the most vital combination of emergency skills we need & the ultimate test of a good rider.
Every time it happens the reason & conditions are different. I don't want to think about it anymore, some close calls are coming back to me & i'm getting an awful puckered feeling in my date.

[slofox]

In situations with animals you probably cant predict what theyre gonna do so it'd be pretty hard to choose the right option for the situation. Fortunately I havnt been in that situation...yet.

A bad-ass horn on the bike can help a lot with animules...had a dog try it on with me a week or so back. The Stebel convinced him to go t'other way...

[ZX12R Hoon]

I totally agree with you that emergency braking is not the answer in many cases. It is a useful skill and in the previous thread refered to I felt that we pretty much stayed on subject, that being emergency braking. We were dealing with in in the exclusive.
As you say the are as many variables as there are nasty moments and now we are discussing the wider subject. I beleive that the most important skill we can have is what I call Road Craft. It comes first and it's about getting your "head" well in front of the bike. Constantly thinking about what may happen, what dangers there are, what safe escape routes are available some distance ahead of the bike. You maintain that and a lot of potentially dangerous situations are dealt with before the Emergency Braking or Emergency Avoidance Action is needed. Positioning the bike in the optimum safe position on the road can make a huge difference. An example, 100k zone, crest ahead, where are you on the road? I will be well to the left and staining to see over the crest. If some idiot comes over the creast on my side of the road I can go into the gravel at a better angle than if I was out by the centre line and I've already got about two meters less to travel, or a car on the side of the road with someone walking around it, I'd be well out near the centre line. In both cases I may well have dropped the speed back a little as well. I'm thinking ahead, managing possible hazards before I get to them. The simple fact that we all have to accept is that cage drivers don't see us, thats not going to change, we have to work at managing that situation because at the end of the day we are the ones who will most likely get hurt. There are many positioning "tricks" that can give you an edge. On a roundabout with cars leading, be hard up on the right tail light of the car in front, why? On a straight road behind a line of traffic, there's a truck with a car behind it coming towards, where do you put yourself? You are travelling at 100ks towards a car waiting at a stop on your left, what do you do? I'd be interested in your answers.

[Jonathan]

Two real life examples I have experienced where two different strategies have been required.

1. Main road, 100kmh, car in front of me rear-ends the car in front of it. I pulled in the breaks moderately and swerved into the hard shoulder and escape as it were.

2. In the city, The Terrace at 50kmh, car doesn't see me and pulls out from the left right in front of me. No gap to the left as this space is occupied by the car, can't swerve to the right or the car will run into my side. I break hard and come to a controlled stop.

[kevfromcoro]

Allways look for an escape route.. go left.. look for a soft place to land.. long grass.. sand, even water will pull you up quickly.
I think if i was in a sittuation wher an accident was going to happen.
IE.. snotting a semi. a bus, or a large odject.. i mean a very desperate sittuation.......
I would lock up the back wheel.. lay the bike on its side.. and bail..
I know it aint nice... but i think i would rather take my chances sliding down the road.. than hitting an object square on.......

[YellowDog]

If you have managed to take the speed off, the hitting square on is often the safest survival choice.

If hitting square on looks like a lights out situation, then your choices are very limited.

My cousin had a car pull out of a side turning and then panic stop in his path. He hit it square on and flew over the car landin 10 meters past and on his back. Because he hit square on he stayed in his lane and was saved by his gear.

In that situation my instincs would have aimed me to the back of the car in hope that it would have continued to pull out and I would have passed it without coming off.

It's nice to be able to relive an off and feel you made the best decision. He did better than I would have.