12 motorcycle safety myths and misconceptions exposed

[davereid]

Be nice if it were even partially true. Sadly the "myths it exposes" may not be myths.
I'll dig up some info, and repost...

[Leseid]

They do have a problem with people not wearing helmets in the United States, was watching a video on black biker week and most would ride in just a tee shirt jeans and shoes. Although it's probably better in the US for you and your family if you hit a motorist that you die than face the litigation, thank god we have ACC.

The lane splitting one is interesting, I ride along SH2 from Petone to the Old Hutt RD daily against the commuter traffic. I usually lane split the traffic if it's doing 90kph or less, but lately I've been sitting in the slow lane and just doing what ever speed the cars are doing.
What tends to happen is the cars from the fast lane duck in right in front of you almost at random, as they see their lane slowing.

[munster]

What tends to happen is the cars from the fast lane duck in right in front of you almost at random, as they see their lane slowing.

Auckland too. And it don't matter what you're driving / riding.

Don't even try to keep a safe stopping distance up here, you'll get full on B trains pulling into it.

After 7 years driving Auckland motorways I have come to hate 2 types of drivers. Trucks & German Cars. And for those bikers who are truckies, so was I, but I was never like the assholes I see every morning on the way to work now.

[mattian]

At a certain time of the day the sun is very low in the sky and, if its directly behind you other drivers maybe blinded by sunstrike and may not see your indicators working. Bear this in mind when making turns and entering round abouts etc etc.. That car that fails to give way to you may have not even seen you indicating. Happened to me recently when a bus of all things !! failed to give way to me at a round-about and I was face to face with the drivers door.

[Marmoot]

Repeated here for the win.

Myth 1: Other Drivers Don't Care About Motorcyclists

It may seem hard to believe at times, but other drivers almost never actually want to hit you. Most of those near-misses come about because they don't always know you are there, even when you are right in front of them, seemingly in plain view. You can be obscured or completely hidden by glare, by other things on or along the road, by the cars roof pillars, the handicap hangtag, or by other traffic. Of course, not all drivers "think motorcycles" and make the effort to look that extra bit harder to see if there might be a motorcyclist hidden by that obscuration or in their blind spot.

Instead of assuming that they will ignore you even when they see you, you should help make it easier for drivers to spot you, especially as the population ages and more drivers have greater difficulty in picking you out. To overcome the fact that you might be hard to see and harder to notice, wear bright colors, especially on your helmet and jacket. Run your high beam during the day. Think about things that can hide you and your bike from other drivers, things that can be as common as the sun behind you, the car ahead in the next lane, or a couple of roadside poles that line up on the driver's line of sight toward you. Make an effort to ride in or move to a location where drivers with potentially conflicting courses can see you before they stray your way.

Trust me, they'd rather get home and enjoy a hot cup of tea, rather than dealing with the police just because they hit someone.

P.S.
Please be careful those who filters on Auckland Motorways at twilight going home. Winter is here, sky is dark, and your headlights don't mean shit in front of hundreds other headlights behind you glaring the drivers on their little mirrors.
Safer communities together, eh?