What do you do.

[mangell6]

I just love that feeling of flying through the air. . . . . .

Seriously watch and watch and watch and thunk . . . .

They didn't watch me

[Posh Tourer :P]

I tend to think about these situations a lot. I find that having gone over them in my mind a lot while I'm riding.. eg if that guy pulled out now I would do xyz... has helped when I did have a couple of close ones. The most recent where I would have crashed had I touched the brakes, as it was I only just avoided by gassing it and swerving. Also keeps me alert. The I think about new strategies.. such as maybe I could turn into the street instead of going straight ahead. It helps "practicing" as you ride in everyday situations, as then all your options come to you more readily when it does happen. The only problem i have, is that the beemer horn is in a ridiculous spot, above the headlight flasher. this makes it very hard to hit in an emergency....

Now I wouldnt claim to be a good rider, but thats my methods and they seem to have worked so far...

[MadDuck]

"So, students:
Keep your eyes open
Assume all car drivers are eedjits (coz most of 'em are)
Assume everyone is out to get you
Make sure that car drivers have actually seen you at intersections (make eye contact with them)
Never assume
Don't take advice from people with a history of crashing
Keep taking the tablets."


Damn I just bought a bool called the "Bikers Bible" you sure you didnt write the editorial ???? ROFLMFAO

[speedpro]

Make sure that car drivers have actually seen you at intersections (make eye contact with them).

Actually eye contact is no guarantee, they could have x-ray vision enabled and be looking right through you, common enough to be a worry in my book. Fat gits on Harleys seem to be a bit harder to look through, probably the only benefit of an HD.

[Jackrat]

There is an articule in BRMs lastest that talks about car driver threat perseptions that I found very interesting,Mainly because it comfirms what I've long belived myself.One of the reasons I like open face helmets is because they can see my face and they can also see the exspression Which is more the point I think.If you look like you might bite it tends to make them look twice.Iv'e always found full face helmets make the riders look non human,Even more so with a dark visor.When I rode a nasty looking bike with a big chain an padlock over my shoulder they sure as hell noticed me.Now I ride a bike that looks different to the norm and they also notice me.I don't think that would apply if I rode a clone bike with a face less visage like most do.I know it is only bikes that stand out that I take any notice of my self so what are the chances of a car driver that simply doesn't care noticing just another run of the mill bike.When I think about all the bikes out my way the only ones that stand out are the old brit's,the HDs the retro's, and the old jappers,The rest just blend into the landscape.
Buy the mag,read the article and think about what you can do to stand out.
Having your head light on don't seem to have the same impact as it use to,maybe because most of us do it so it has been gotten used to by the car drivers an they don't see it anymore???.I stopped using my head light during the day a while ago because my electrical system don't like it.I was real worryed for a while and still would prefer to have it on but nothing has changed I still have nowhere near a many close encounters as some on the site report.And yes I do ride in Auckland traffic.I do wonder if after seeing heaps of bikes all with their lights on, it actualy makes a bike with no light on stand out as different so they take another look.I sure as hell wouldn't bet on that but it does make me wonder.It's not you they don't see it's the threat,But you have to catch their eye in some way before they can even get that far.Hmmm, just thought, nobody has ever pulled out on me when I was carrying a rifle either.I reckon that BRM articule is probably pretty close to the truth.

[Lou Girardin]

I've always wondered why German car owners pay so much for cars without indicators.
Lou

[vifferman]

Jackrat said:

Which is more the point I think.If you look like you might bite it tends to make them look twice.Iv'e always found full face helmets make the riders look non human,Even more so with a dark visor.When I rode a nasty looking bike with a big chain an padlock over my shoulder they sure as hell noticed me.

LOL. I noticed when I first bought my (red) Teknic jacket, but still had my black leather one, that if I rode (i.e., 'filtered') through traffic wearing all black on my black bike that people seemed to move aside for me a bit more.
However, having said that, I think my red bike and red jacket make me much more visible. The fact that the VTR is bright red is one reason the accountant/wife 'allowed' me to buy it, as opposed to the silver VFR I was looking at. It's altogether possible that the black VFR was less visible. But I still maintain it was just lazy.
I don't think I'd wear all that fluoro gear though; it might help, but I'm taking the risk anyway.

One of the reasons I like commuting by bike (apart from the obvious ones, like that I haven't grown up yet) is that you have to be so alert. Commuting by car, it's easy to just switch to autopilot mode (which presumably 99.9% of car drivers in D'Auckland do, because you're just playing "follow the leader" in a line of slowish moving traffic. On a bike, you are REALLY awake by the time you get to work (if you're doing it properly) and arrive feeling ALIVE.
However, you have to be ALERT 100% of the time. This was reinforced for me just this morning, when I was only maybe 80% alert for a second. I take the backstreets, because (a) it's less boring, (b) there are fewer stops, (c) there's less traffic, and (d) it takes me less time, even though it's nearly twice as far. However, you get all these gits just pulling out of their driveways, half asleep (which is how I got trowelled last year). This morning, I was looking down the road at a car that was approaching, to estimate whether I'd have to stop at the "traffic calming measure" (chicane) or not. A lady was backing out of her driveway, right behind the 'chicane', on the lefthand side. I saw her, and swerved to the right as I negotiated the island thingo, and she saw me and braked. However, the point was, my attention was taken by the approaching car for maybe a second at most, and I missed noticing her until she was halfway across the road. Neither of us saw each other until the last moment (due to parked cars on the sides of the road), and if she had been less alert, I probably would've run up the bum of her car.

You need to scan the road all the time, especially intersections. A quick flick of the eyes left and right as you approach an intersection is vital. Why I said I look at car drivers to determine if they've seen me, is that one of the streets I go down has stop signs at every intersection, maybe 8 in total. Many car drivers go straight through these from my left or right, and most pull out into the intersection with the intention of proceeding. If they do this, I slow right down, give them the eyeball, and don't go until I'm sure they've noticed me.
(Last year I saw a scooterist bowled on this same piece of road by a brain-dead car driver, who was going to fight it in court, despite my testimony, but he changed his mind at the last minute. BTW, the stupid scooterist was wearing jeans, jandals, no gloves, and an open-faced helmet. He looked really Kewl, until he went splat on the road and got a big patch of gravel rash on his back. I felt positively overdressed in my full leathers, helping him up off the road....)

[Jackrat]

I've always wondered why German car owners pay so much for cars without indicators.
Lou

Hmmm,so it's not just me huh.
I was starting to wonder if I was the only one that noticed that.
Parnel must be the home land of people that buy big doller cars that don't have working indercators.Damn that place is scary.

[PZR]

I've always wondered why German car owners pay so much for cars without indicators.
Lou

I am always astounded by the amount of cars that only come with confirminators.
You know, the ones that only blink after the vehicle has started to turn

[wkid_one]

Interesting article on this exact question in Bike Rider this month....about target fixation, swerving, exit strategies, brake v turn etc....quite a good read really (esp for BR)

Doing the advanced training the other week was a wicked eye opener as to how far even with ABS Brakes it takes you to stop from 100kph.....

I cheat tho and use left foot braking as I find my reaction time is quicker and when I need to I brake harder. Plus it is what I am used to.

I myself practised the inevitable when the mood suited - I obviously just didn't practise the whole diesel on the road thing - LOL.......

I got away from rear wheel braking because sliding the rear in an emergency is a waste of time and dangerous (a sliding wheel offers not braking)....so I stopped using it. I also removed my fingers from hovering over the front brake to prevent the instinct front brake grab (mainly in corners...but also in emergencies).

[Ms Piggy]

I am always astounded by the amount of cars that only come with confirminators.
You know, the ones that only blink after the vehicle has started to turn

I almost got side swiped by a bus this morning that had that very same fault! I was in a car and he only started indicating that he was going around the round about as I entered it! I Know, I know - assume nothing!

[Big Dog]

"So, students:
Keep your eyes open
Assume all car drivers are eedjits (coz most of 'em are)
Assume everyone is out to get you
Make sure that car drivers have actually seen you at intersections (make eye contact with them)
Never assume
Don't take advice from people with a history of crashing
Keep taking the tablets."


Damn I just bought a bool called the "Bikers Bible" you sure you didnt write the editorial ???? ROFLMFAO

Graham allardices? If so Red Baron gave me two free copies

[El Dopa]

Hmmm,so it's not just me huh.
I was starting to wonder if I was the only one that noticed that.
Parnel must be the home land of people that buy big doller cars that don't have working indercators.Damn that place is scary.

Yeah the dealers tell them the little yellow flashing lights are an optional extra. And then superglue a mobile phone to their hand and their ear.

[Skyryder]

While it may seem a little contrite I place other road users into two catorgies. Those in front of me and those that are behind me. To some extenct those that are in front of me I have the control to avoid them.

First and formost is observation. This is not just a matter of seeing the vehicle/cyclist/pedestrian or whatever but looking for what they may or may not do. This is not guess work but what can the vehicle etc actually do that will cause me grief. What is the vehicle etc. doing and what MIGHT THE VEHICLE DO unexpectedly. I DO NOT HAVE ANY PRECONCEIVED OPTIANS in case the vehicle does the unexpected instead I have a range of options and use what is the most appropiate. I am of the firm opinion that to preconceive a manoeuvre can at times be a mistake. This does not mean that an escape route should not be looked for, just that there may be another option instead. I have ridden off and on for many years and there is one golden rule that I swear by. IF YOU DO NOT KNOW DO NOT GO Then there are the numerous vehicle that are to your rear. These you can only see in the rear mirror. All that you can do is to NOT DO THE UNEXPECTED. Sudden changes in direction etc .........not good. At the end of the day each judgment is based on your riding ability and your observation of the evironment around you. Marry the two together and their should be no divorce.

Skyryder

[Posh Tourer :P]

I would try to have a range of options at hand to speed up the decision process... for example, last time I almost got bowled, I didnt even think of going around the rear of the car. It was front or brake. Everytime I come up with a new idea eg going round he back or turning left, it is a new option. I dont actually preconcieve any options when i'm heading up to a dangerous situation (except in that i think what would be the best thing to do if that car did a u-turn - to try and add to my arsenal - I'm not committed to doing that (I hope) its just an option). I think that makes sense. I try and figure out the best option, but try not to limit myself to what i believe is the best option, as it all depends on lots of components of the situation