Near miss - learnings?

[Moise]

Riding into Auckland on the northern motorway on Saturday afternoon. I followed a car up the hill from Oteha Valley in the RH lane, then just at the crest he started to brake. Next thing, he swerved into the left lane, probably because he couldn't stop, leaving me staring at a line of stationary cars not that far away!

I braked really hard (lifted the back wheel) and almost stopped in the space - moved over to the right of the car in front when down to about 30 km/h.

OK, there is often slow traffic there, but not usually stopped completely like that.

My reactions were probably a little slow, because I was surprised when the car in front swerved and I had to decide whether to do the same or brake. I doubt that he could have stopped in time.

The main positive was that I'd left a decent gap, so had enough time and distance to act. I'm not sure what else I could have done.

I'll be more careful in future when there is limited visibility. This isn't the only place on Auckland's motorways where this can happen - Drury going south is another example, but there isn't usually slow traffic there.







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[nzspokes]

Keeping that 2 sec gap is vital. You have to be able to stop in the space you can see to be clear. Why were you in the RH lane?

So sounds like you were a bit close to the car in front. But you didnt hit anything and you found a way out. Bonus. Much better not being dead.

[AllanB]

Wear two pair of undies.

[gkamp]

Keep your mistakes small... I'm sure you've heard that before... I travel in my daily commute in freeway speeds with very heavy traffic. I tend to stick to the left (hov) lane I always try to stay hard on the very right of that lane for a couple reasons. One being I can see 3-4 cars ahead of the one I'm following, two the cars on the right potentially ready to kill me can see me very far back as one of the cars in the line and it also gives me the whole lane on the left side to swerve including the shoulder, three if a emergency maneuver needs to happen I have a couple choices, lane split my lane and the one on the right or swerve left into the shoulder. Also if traffic stops hard I position myself in between the two lanes so if I do get rear ended hopefully I will be pushed between the two ahead of me instead of being crushed between the one behind and directly in front of me. And as always, maneuverability and quickness are your strengths, don't be a traffic zombie and continually push to get ahead of the cars. I also run in a very low gear so hopefully I can be heard coming as well as seen.

Everyone has their theories, these are mine I've learned over the years and so far, no accidents, no bike drops solidifies my theories.

Keith Code is also a inspiration for my riding behavior too and I couldn't agree more with his statement in this article http://www.motorcycle.com/features/h...-teachers.html

Sorry I know this is a long response be safe and continually learn and reflect to be a become a rider every day.

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[Moise]

Keeping that 2 sec gap is vital. You have to be able to stop in the space you can see to be clear. Why were you in the RH lane?

So sounds like you were a bit close to the car in front. But you didnt hit anything and you found a way out. Bonus. Much better not being dead.

There was a good 2 second gap, otherwise I doubt I'd be writing this. It at least gave me time, but not quite enough distance to stop!

I was in the RH lane because the 3rd (LH) lane ends.

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[Oscar]

"Learnings" is not a word.
That is your lesson for today.

[Moise]

.

Keith Code is also a inspiration for my riding behavior too and I couldn't agree more with his statement in this article http://www.motorcycle.com/features/h...-teachers.html

Sorry I know this is a long response be safe and continually learn and reflect to be a become a rider every day.

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That's an interesting link. I've seen another version of it somewhere.

My situational awareness should have been better. Given I couldn't see very far in front of the car ahead, I should have been over to the right trying to see past.

Also, I wasn't checking for traffic in the lane to the left often enough. If I'd known that it was clear, then I could have simply followed the car in front when he changed lanes.

The mirrors on my bike aren't the best. Something else to look into.


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[AllanB]

Got a fright in the car once when I was forced to brake hard on a passing lane due to the car in front slaming on the brakes. I thought it may have been due to an accident but no it wasnt maybe just merging conjestion at the end of the lane that I was along way away from.

Passing lanes.

Merge like a zip.

Yeah right.

More like the first corner of a F1 race.

[FJRider]

Keeping that 2 sec gap is vital. You have to be able to stop in the space you can see to be clear.

Actually ... the legal requirement is to be able to stop within half the distance of clear roadway ahead. The OP was clearly not able to do this.

Obviously following too closely as well.

[Akzle]

Riding into Auckland

there's your problem...

[FJRider]

Passing lanes.

Merge like a zip.

Yeah right.

More like the first corner of a F1 race.

Why is it on Motorways and passing lanes ... people ignore all the basic road rules.

[neels]

Actually ... the legal requirement is to be able to stop within half the distance of clear roadway ahead. The OP was clearly not able to do this.

Obviously following too closely as well.

Half the visible distance on an unlaned road, visible distance on a lane marked road.

But yes, seemingly following too close for that situation, unfortunately you don't know in advance when that situation is going to arise.

Sounds like a good effort in getting out of it unscathed, rather than grabbing handfuls of everything and chucking the bike down the road.

[Moise]

Actually ... the legal requirement is to be able to stop within half the distance of clear roadway ahead. The OP was clearly not able to do this.

Obviously following too closely as well.

Not possible on a motorway in traffic.

There was a 2-3 second gap to the car in front, so no way was I too close. As I've said before, that's what made it possible to avoid an accident.

Maybe I need to state the obvious. The reason it became a drama was because the car in front couldn't stop and changed lanes instead. This left me just starting to brake with a stationary line of cars about 50-75 m ahead.


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[swbarnett]

Actually ... the legal requirement is to be able to stop within half the distance of clear roadway ahead.

Only on an unmarked road. On a road with a center line it's a legal requirement is to be able to stop within the distance of clear roadway ahead.

[swbarnett]

Not possible on a motorway in traffic.

There was a 2-3 second gap to the car in front, so no way was I too close. As I've said before, that's what made it possible to avoid an accident.

Maybe I need to state the obvious. The reason it became a drama was because the car in front couldn't stop and changed lanes instead. This left me just starting to brake with a stationary line of cars about 50-75 m ahead.

What if they had been able to stop? You would then have had at least a car length less room to play with.

I've learned the hard way to be very aware of he terrain ahead and note any upcoming spots where visibility is compromised. I always have an exit strategy. Unless I'm actually lane splitting I ride to the side of the lane where I know I can lane split if necessary. I've only had to use this twice in the past thirty years.

In my book you did all that could've been reasonably expected of you. The only thing that you may have been able to do differently is to have your escape route planned ahead of time.