Survival Tips - Add Yours Here

[DjPete]

Everyone has a story or survival riding tip.
Maybe it's the one thing that saved you when you had a crash.
Maybe it's a riding technique you swear by and has gotten you out of trouble so many times.
As mentioned by Madmax too many people coming to grief.
We all know it's a dangerous hobby but there must be hundreds of survival tips we can all learn by....

[DjPete]

I'll throw one obvious one in.

NEVER tailgate. NEVER. Pretty simple really but it's amazing how many don't do it.
A sign of an inexperienced rider/driver imo.
I practice this religiously in the car and on the bike.
It has saved me so many times because I have time to see what is about to happen and to react.

[NEMESIS]

Dont buy a busa,or a motorbike for that matter

Thats one tip to end all tips.

[DjPete]

Dont buy a busa,or a motorbike for that matter

Thats one tip to end all tips.

I agree Nem.
I mean everyone knows that if you ride a bike you will crash.
They just go hand in hand...NOT.

Believe it or not there are thousands of riders out there who have been riding for years without incident.
Generally they have some survival skills they use every day on the bike.
They don't necessarily drive around like old men either.
Maybe they just know when to fang it and when not to fang it.

[NEMESIS]

Yeh well,put it this way,moto gp riders,are the best riders pretty much out there,
an in a controlled enviroment,smooth surface,even they crash.
So what makes you think you wont?

Its bound to happen sooner or later.
Sure being throttle happy isnt going to help...
Just my opinion thats all.

Dont make me come there peter,an harass you.
Sexually.

[DjPete]

Street Survival - On the Ride
50 Ways to Save Your Life


Motorcycle Cruiser's mothership, Motorcyclist magazine, recently published the following advice to an overwhelmingly appreciative response. We have decided to republish the list of living-saving techniques-in its entirety-for our own readership.

Assume you're invisible
Because to a lot of drivers, you are. Never make a move based on the assumption that another driver sees you, even if you've just made eye contact.

Be considerate
The consequences of strafing the jerk du jour or cutting him off start out bad and get worse. Pretend it was your grandma and think again

Dress for the crash, not the pool or the prom
Sure, Joaquin's Fish Tacos is a five-minute trip, but nobody plans to eat pavement. Modern mesh gear means 100-degree heat is no excuse for a T-shirt and board shorts

Hope for the best, prepare for the worst
Assume that car across the intersection will turn across your bow when the lightgoes green, with or without a turn signal.

Leave your ego at home
The only people who really care if you were faster on the freeway will be the officer and the judge.

Pay attention
Yes, there is a half-naked girl on the billboard. And the chrome needs a polish. Meanwhile, you could be drifting toward Big Trouble. Focus.

Mirrors only show you part of the picture
Never change direction without turning your head to make sure the coast really is clear.

Be patient
Always take another second or three before you pull out to pass, ride away from a curb or merge into freeway traffic from an on-ramp. It's what you don't see that gets you. That extra look could save your butt.

Watch your closing speed
Passing cars at twice their speed or changing lanes to shoot past a row of stopped cars is just asking for trouble.

Beware the verge and the merge
A lot of nasty surprises end up on the sides of the road: empty McDonald's bags, nails, TV antennas, ladders, you name it. Watch for potentially troublesome debris on both sides of the road.

Right-turning cars remain a leading killer of motorcyclists
Don't assume someone will wait for you to dart through the intersection. They're trying to beat the light, too.

Think before you act
Careful whipping around that Camry going 7 mph in a 25-mph zone or you could end up with your head in the driver's side door when he turns in front of you.

Beware of cars running traffic lights
The first few seconds after a signal light changes are the most perilous. Look both ways before barging into an intersection.

Check your mirrors
Do it every time you change lanes, slow down or stop. Be ready to move if another vehicle is about to occupy the space you'd planned to use

Mind the gap
Remember Driver's Ed.? One second's worth of distance per 10 mph is the old rule of thumb. Better still, scan the next 12 seconds ahead for potential trouble.

Beware of tuner cars
They're quick, and their drivers tend to be young and aggressive, therefore potentially hazardous

Excessive entrance speed hurts
It's the leading cause of single-bike accidents on twisty roads-some cruisers can make unheard of amounts of power. Use it on the way out of a corner, not in.

Don't trust that deer whistle
Ungulates and other feral beasts prowl at dawn and dusk, so heed those big yellow signs. If you're riding in a target-rich environment, slow down and watch the shoulders.

Learn to use both brakes
The front does most of your stopping, but for a lot of heavy cruisers a little extra rear brake can really help haul you up fast.

Keep the front brake covered-always
Save a single second of reaction time at 60 mph and you can stop 88 feet shorter. Think about that.

Look where you want to go
Use the miracle of target fixation to your advantage. The motorcycle goes where you look, so focus on the solution instead of the problem.

Keep your eyes moving
Traffic is always shifting, so keep scanning for potential trouble. Don't lock your eyes on any one thing for too long unless you're actually dealing with trouble

Come to a full stop at that next stop sign
Put a foot down. Look again. Anything less forces a snap decision with no time to spot potential trouble.

Raise your gaze
It's too late to do anything about the 20 feet immediately in front of your fender, so scan the road far enough ahead to see trouble and change trajectory.

Get your mind right in the driveway
Most accidents happen during the first 15 minutes of a ride, below 40 mph, near an intersection or driveway. Yes, that could be your driveway

Never dive into a gap in stalled traffic
Cars may have stopped for a reason, and you may not be able to see why until it's too late to do anything about it.

Don't saddle up more than you can handle
If you weigh 95 pounds, avoid that 795-pound cruiser. Get something lighter and more manageable.

Watch for car doors opening into traffic
And smacking a car that's swerving around some goofball's open door is just as painful.

Don't get in an intersection rut
Watch for a two-way stop after a string of four-way intersections. If you expect cross-traffic to stop, there could be a painful surprise when it doesn't.

Stay in your comfort zone when you're with a group
Riding over your head is a good way to end up in a ditch. Any bunch worth riding with will have a rendezvous point where you'll be able to link up again.

Give your eyes some time to adjust
A minute or two of low light heading from a well-lighted garage onto dark streets is a good thing. Otherwise, you're essentially flying blind for the first mile or so.

Master the slow U-turn
Practice. Park your butt on the outside edge of the seat and lean the bike into the turn, using your body as a counterweight as you pivot around the rear wheel.

Who put a stop sign at the top of this hill?
Don't panic. Use the rear brake to keep from rolling back down. Use Mr. Throttle and Mr. Clutch normally-and smoothly-to pull away.

If it looks slippery, assume it is
A patch of suspicious pavement could be just about anything. Butter Flavor Crisco? Gravel? Mobil 1? Or maybe it's nothing. Better to slow down for nothing than go on your head.

Bang! A blowout! Now what?
No sudden moves. The motorcycle isn't happy, so be prepared to apply a little calming muscle to maintain course. Ease back the throttle, brake gingerly with the good wheel and pull over very smoothly to the shoulder. Big sigh.

Drops on the faceshield?
It's raining. Lightly misted pavement can be slipperier than when it's been rinsed by a downpour, and you never know how much grip there is. Apply maximum-level concentration, caution and smoothness.

Everything is harder to see after dark
Adjust your headlights, carry a clear faceshield and have your game all the way on after dark, especially during commuter hours

Emotions in check?
To paraphrase Mr. Ice Cube, chickity-check yo self before you wreck yo self. Emotions are as powerful as any drug, so take inventory every time you saddle up. If you're mad, sad, exhausted or anxious, stay put.

Wear good gear
Wear stuff that fits you and the weather. If you're too hot or too cold or fighting with a jacket that binds across the shoulders, you're dangerous. It's that simple.

Leave the iPod at home. You won't hear that cement truck in time with Spinal Tap cranked to 11, but they might like your headphones in intensive care.

Learn to swerve
Be able to do two tight turns in quick succession. Flick left around the bag of briquettes, then right back to your original trajectory. The bike will follow your eyes, so look at the way around, not the briquettes. Now practice until it's a reflex.

Be smooth at low speeds
Take some angst out, especially of slow-speed maneuvers, with a bit of rear brake. It adds a welcome bit of stability by minimizing unwelcome weight transfer and potentially bothersome driveline lash.

Flashing is good for you
Turn signals get your attention by flashing, right? So a few easy taps on the pedal or lever before stopping makes your brake light more eye-catching to trailing traffic.

Intersections are scary, so hedge your bets
Put another vehicle between your bike and the possibility of someone running the stop sign/red light on your right and you cut your chances of getting nailed in half.

Tune your peripheral vision
Pick a point near the center of that wall over there. Now scan as far as you can by moving your attention, not your gaze. The more you can see without turning your head, the sooner you can react to trouble.

All alone at a light that won't turn green?
Put as much motorcycle as possible directly above the sensor wire-usually buried in the pavement beneath you and located by a round or square pattern behind the limit line. If the light still won't change, try putting your kickstand down, right on the wire. You should be on your way in seconds.

Don't troll next to or right behind Mr. Peterbilt
If one of those 18 retreads blows up-which they do with some regularity-it de-treads, and that can be ugly. Unless you like dodging huge chunks of flying rubber, keep your distance.

Take the panic out of panic stops
Develop an intimate relationship with your front brake. Seek out some safe, open pavement. Starting slowly, find that fine line between maximum braking and a locked wheel, and then do it again and again.

Make your tires right
None of this stuff matters unless your skins are right. Don't take 'em for granted. Make sure pressure is spot-on every time you ride. Check for cuts, nails and other junk they might have picked up, as well as for general wear.

Take a deep breath
Count to 10. Visualize whirled peas. Forgetting about some clown's 80-mph indiscretion beats running the risk of ruining your life, or ending it



A lot of truth above and some very interesting stats.
See, lots of things you can do...

[DjPete]

The Deadly Dozen: 12 Motorcycle Safety Myths and Misconceptions

When science meets urban legend and imperfect logic, some of the "facts" motorcyclists think they "know" about motorcycle safety, crashes, and riding turn out to be dangerous myths and misconceptions. From the February 2006 issue of Motorcycle Cruiser magazine. By Art Friedman.




Get a group of motorcyclists talking about crashes and safety, and you will almost certainly hear some of them—popular misconceptions, incorrect assumptions, urban legends, and intuitive explanations about motorcycle safety that turn out to be wrong when you actually check out the facts. The problem is that believing these misconceptions can increase your chances of being involved in an accident or getting hurt when you do crash.

Maybe you know BS when you hear it, but maybe you have heard some myths repeated so often or by people whose expertise you respect that you think they are actually true. Unfortunately, there are a lot of motorcyclists who do believe them. We thought that some of these fallacies should be brought out into the light of day so that riders have the right information upon which to make informed riding-safety decisions. We also hope it will keep more motorcyclists from repeating such misconceptions to riders who turn to them for advice.

These are the Deadly Dozen, the motorcycle safety myths and urban legends ones that we hear most frequently.

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.

Myth 2: Loud Pipes Save Lives

Yeah, there are a few situations—like where you are right next to a driver with his window down who is about the to change lanes—where full-time noise-makers might help a driver notice you, but all that noise directed rearward doesn't do much in the most common and much more dangerous conflict where a car turns in front of you. Maybe it's the fatigue caused by the noise, maybe it's the attitudes of riders who insist on making annoying noise, or perhaps loud bikes annoy enough drivers to make them aggressive. Whatever the reason, the research shows that bikes with modified exhaust systems crash more frequently than those with stock pipes. If you really want to save lives, turn to a loud jacket or a bright helmet color, which have been proven to do the job. Or install a louder horn. Otherwise, just shut up.

Myth 3: Motorcycle Helmets Break Necks

It seems logical—you put more weight out there on the end of your neck and when you get thrown off the bike, that extra weight will create more pendulum force on your neck. Turns out, it doesn't work that way. In fact, the energy-absorbing qualities of a DOT motorcycle helmet also absorb the energy that breaks riders' necks in impacts. Studies show that helmeted motorcyclists actually suffer fewer neck injuries when they crash compared to riders who crash without helmets.

Myth 4: Helmets Block Your Ability to See or Hear Danger

The thing you learn when you dig into the research is that motorcycle riders who use helmets crash less frequently than those who don't. Maybe that happens because motorcyclists who decide to wear helmets have a better or more realistic attitude about riding. Maybe it's because putting on a helmet is a reminder that what you are about to do can be dangerous and the act of accepting protection puts you in the right mindset. Maybe it's because a helmet provides eye protection and cuts down wind noise so you can actually see and hear better. Maybe its because, by cutting wind pressure and noise, a helmet reduces fatigue. Whatever the reasons, wearing a helmet clearly does not increase a motorcyclist's risk of having an accident and wearing one correlates to reduced likelihood of an accident.

Myth 5: A Helmet Won't Help in Most Crashes

People look at the seemingly low impact speeds used in motorcycle-helmet testing and assume that if you are going faster than that, the helmet will no longer be up to the job. That ignores a few critical facts:

Most accidents happen at relatively low speeds.
Most of the impact energy is usually vertical—the distance your head falls until it hits.
Helmets (or at least helmets that meet DOT standards) perform spectacular life-saving feats at impact speeds far above those used in testing.
When a helmeted rider suffers a fatal head injury, it frequently doesn't matter, because, to hit hard enough to sustain that fatal injury, he sustained multiple additional fatal injuries to other parts of his body. In other words, the fact that the helmet didn't prevent the head injury was of no consequence.
The numbers clearly say that riders using DOT helmets simply survive crashes more successfully than those without them.

Myth 6: A Helmet Will Leave You Brain Damaged in an Crash When You Would Have Simply Died

Of course that's possible—your helmet attenuates the impact energy enough to keep the injury from being fatal but not enough to keep all of your eggs from getting scrambled. However, that's rare, and if you hit that hard, you are likely to get killed by some other injury. It's actually the un-helmeted rider who is likely to cross from animal to vegetable kingdom, and often from a relatively minor impact that would have damaged nothing but his ego if he'd been wearing a DOT helmet.

Myth 7: A Skilled Rider Should Be Able to Handle Almost Any Situation

The sharpest, most skilled motorcyclist in the world isn't going to be up to the task when a car turns or pulls out in front of him a short distance ahead and stops directly in his path broadside. Believing that your superior skills will keep you of trouble is a pipe dream, even if they are as good as you think. No matter how skilled you are, it's better to ride to avoid situations that can turn ugly. Slow down, scan farther ahead, and think strategically. And dress for the crash.

Myth 8: If You Are Going to Crash, Lay It Down

I suspect this line was developed by riders to explain why they ended up flat-side-down while trying to avoid a crash. They over-braked or otherwise lost control, then tried to explain the crash away as intentional and tried to make it sound like it wasn't a crash at all. Maybe motorcycle brakes once were so bad that you could stop better off your bike while sliding or tumbling. If so, that hasn't been true for decades. You can scrub off much more speed before and there be going slower at impact with effective braking than you will sliding down the road on your butt. And if you are still on the bike, you might get thrown over the car you collide with, avoiding an impact with your body. If you slide into a car while you are on the ground, you either have a hard stop against it or end up wedged under it. Remember that the phrase "I laid 'er down to avoid a crash" is an oxymoron, often repeated by some other kind of moron.



The only events where being on the ground might leave you better off are: 1) on an elevated roadway where going over the guardrail will cause you to fall a long way, or 2) in that situation you see occasionally in movies, where the motorcyclist slides under a semi trailer without touching it. That's a good trick if the truck is moving.

Myth 9: One Beer Won't Hurt

Maybe not while you are drinking it, but if you get on your motorcycle after that, the effects of a single beer can get you hurt for life. No matter how unaffected you are sure you are, all the studies say differently. You increase your risk to yourself and to others when you drink and hit the road. Also, as you age, your metabolism slows down, and those "coupla drinks" you had last night may still be affecting you when you hit the road the next morning.

Myth 10: It's Better to Stay in Your Lane than Split Lanes

In most parts of the world, motorcycles split lanes all the time, everywhere traffic is heavy. Here in the U.S., people often act as if lane-splitting is insane. But when someone actually studied it in the only place in the U.S. where it's legal (California), they discovered it's actually slightly safer than staying in the lane in heavy, slow-moving traffic. Still many motorcyclists berate others who do it, when they should in fact be endorsing it.

Myth 11: I'm Safer on the Street than on an Interstate

The thinking here must be that slower is safer, but that's only really true after the accident begins. Controlled-access roadways are inherently safer because all the traffic is going the same way, and there are no side streets from which someone can pop into your path, no pedestrians, and, often, less roadside "furniture" to hit if you depart the roadway. Running down the road at 70 mph side-by-sidewall with the whirling wheels of a semi may feel hairy, but you are actually safer than at half that speed on a city street or even a country road.

Myth 12: A Skilled Rider Can Stop Better with Conventional Brakes than with Anti-Lock Brakes

Extensive testing done recently disproves this popular notion. Even on clean, dry, flat pavement, skilled, experienced riders (who did hundreds of panic stops for the testing on outrigger-equipped motorcycles) stopped in less distance with anti-lock brakes (ABS) than with conventional or linked braking systems. Though the tests didn't include samples on surfaces with slick, dirty or wet spots, ABS certainly would have performed even better under those conditions while eliminating much of the risk of crashing.

The other cool thing about ABS on a motorcycle is that allows you to safely practice panic stops without risking a crash caused by lock-up.

Anyway, the next time tells you that he had to "lay it down" or that green bikes crash more than purple ones, you can nod and snicker internally or challenge them. Just don't base your own riding choices on what other people assume unless their is some solid science to back it up.

[DjPete]

Motorcycle Safety: The Last Ride, The Final Mistake & #151 And a Remedy

A look at one state's motorcycle accident reports reveals some disturbing trends and fatal rider errors...and also at least one simple safety remedy. From the June 2004 issue of Motorcycle Cruiser magazine. By Steve Garets, Director of Team Oregon Motorcycle Safety Program.




About once a month a report appears on my desktop courtesy of the Oregon Department of Transpor-tation. Its formal title is the Updated Motorcycle, Moped and Scooter Fatalities Report. It's an archive of last rides—a sterile and cryptic assessment of all fatal motorcycle crashes year-to-date, each one as witnessed through the eyes of the investigating police officer. I scan the report—date, time of day, location, presence of alcohol, weather condition, helmet and endorsement. I pause over the description.


MC vs. auto; motorcycle doing very high-speed wheelie on Stark St., 80-yr.-old woman pulled out; motorcyclist struck auto. Died at scene.

All states collect fatality data from traffic-related crashes that occur on public roads. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) compiles this data annually in the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) database. Facts are analyzed, conclusions drawn and reports issued—and every January 1, the process begins anew.


Single vehicle—lost control, slid across oncoming lane, hit curb and retaining wall near tunnel. Borrowed bike, 600 Yamaha, DOA, passenger died two hours later.

The 2001 FARS report indicates that 3181 motorcyclists were killed and an additional 60,000 injured in traffic crashes across the country, an increase of 10 percent and four percent, respectively, from the previous year. The 40-and-older age group accounted for 40 percent of all motorcyclist fatalities. And what were they riding? Look around—big bikes (more than 1001cc) carried almost two-thirds of the fatalities involving riders 40 and over.

This is not to say that younger riders aren't involved—the 20- to 29-year-old group has the highest number of fatalities among all age groups, bringing the mean age of motorcyclists killed in '01 to 36.3.

So what's taking us out? According to the FARS, multiple-vehicle crashes accounted for 54 percent of the deaths in '01. Seventy-five percent of those were frontal impacts—only six percent were struck in the rear. This shows that most crashes develop from hazards right in front of us. It pays to be vigilant and watch where we're going!



MC vs. auto. Motorcycle rear-ended Jeep waiting to turn left. Another motorcycle missed Jeep.

The remaining 46 percent of deaths can be attributed to single-vehicle crashes. In almost half (41 percent) of these crashes the motorcycle operators were intoxicated.


Single vehicle—motorcycle attempted to pass semi on right side, went off shoulder, hit road sign. Alcohol was a factor in this crash.

Oregon's portion of the FARS report differs from the national perspective. That is to be expected, since each state has differing rules, regulations, climates, riding populations and urban/rural conditions. Oregon has more rural road crashes, with the majority being single-vehicle crashes. Tragically, most of these occur in corners.


Single vehicle—lost control, left roadway on curve, hit power pole.
Single vehicle—lost control on curve, went over embankment. Dead at scene.
Single vehicle, missed 90-degree corner and landed in ditch. Left 37-ft. skid mark in attempt to stop. Helmet came off during crash.

Exploring Oregon's statistics further, I've discovered corners are a common factor in multivehicle crashes, too.


MC vs. auto; MC rider cut inside on blind corner at speed too fast for conditions, hit BMW head-on.
MC vs. auto; MC crossed centerline on corner, struck Ford head-on. MC rider and passenger both died at scene.
MC vs. auto; Rider lost control on curve, too much speed, crossed center line approximately five feet over line and hit Dodge head-on.

Lacking any other evidence, it is easy to conclude that excessive speed is the cause of these crashes. Very often there is nothing else to explain the unplanned exit—no gouge marks, no signs of traction loss or mechanical failure, no other vehicle involved, no visible roadway defect or animal strike. Fellow riders accompanying the victim completed the same corner without incident. So why did these riders leave their lane? After coaching thousands of riders, from rank beginners to veteran motor officers, I'm convinced that the answer lies in the eyes. Quite simply, where you look is where you go.

I believe riders crash in corners because they override sight distance—they ride faster than they can see in time to stop, swerve or safely react when the road tightens or something unexpected appears in their paths. Typically, riders make it through the first two-thirds of the corner and then just straighten up the remainder. What rapidly comes into view is a tree, utility pole, highway sign or, in really bad cases, a rock wall, cliff or approaching vehicle. The rider's attention is distracted at the worst possible moment. His eyes lock on the object and he is drawn in that direction as if guided by wire. I've visited crash scenes where there is nothing near the impact area except for a rural mailbox that's been snapped off at the ground. The rider could have cleared it on the left or right if target fixation hadn't taken over his guidance system that day. Your eyes are your guidance system! They feed your shoulder-mounted supercomputer the critical information necessary to corner safely—speed, slope, radius, path, obstacles, etc. The only thing you have to do to begin collecting that information is face your intended path of travel.

To avoid crashing in corners, swivel your head and look through the turn. Look as far as you can, even if it feels uncomfortable at first. Position yourself toward the outside of the lane to increase your line of sight through the curve. Limit your speed at the curve's entrance until you can see the path. Begin your turn only after the clear pathway comes into view. Only then should you begin adding throttle— when you know where the road leads and what hazards exist.


Single vehicle—rider came around curve, lost control, left roadway and hit power pole.
Single vehicle—motorcycle lost control on curve, left roadway, struck small tree. Found next day by pedestrian.
Single vehicle—motorcycle lost control on blind curve passing another motorcycle, hit guardrail.

I've watched riders attack corners during our track courses. At the beginning, we hold the riders to lower speeds to show them how to link turns smoothly and precisely. But when the speed-up signal appears, their cornering discipline crumbles. Rather than carving smooth, fluid turns, riders dive into turns too fast while fixating on the entrance (what they see) rather than the exit (what they don't). They turn in too soon, acquire their pathway too late and end up staring at the shoulder as they paint a border-to-border line through the turn. It's ugly. Their turn exits are precariously wide, a condition that is made worse as the subsequent corner rushes into view.

A student rider told me the other day that maneuvering his motorcycle was like "stuffing a cow through barbed wire." It doesn't have to be. A smooth rider can get through corners with much more precision, fewer disruptions and a much greater margin of safety...quicker, too.

Safe and smooth cornering starts with getting good information. Put your guidance system to use by reminding yourself to look ahead very early in the cornering process. Limit your entry speed. Enter turns at speeds that will allow you to stop or escape if the turn tightens or something unexpected blocks your path. Be careful with line selection—stay to the outside of your lane until your pathway comes into view. You can always add more throttle once the pathway is defined. The last-ride archive clearly shows that you can't always take it back.

Steve Garets is director of the Team Oregon Motorcycle

[DjPete]

Motorcycle Safety: The Last Ride, The Final Mistake & #151 And a Remedy

A look at one state's motorcycle accident reports reveals some disturbing trends and fatal rider errors...and also at least one simple safety remedy. From the June 2004 issue of Motorcycle Cruiser magazine. By Steve Garets, Director of Team Oregon Motorcycle Safety Program.




About once a month a report appears on my desktop courtesy of the Oregon Department of Transpor-tation. Its formal title is the Updated Motorcycle, Moped and Scooter Fatalities Report. It's an archive of last rides—a sterile and cryptic assessment of all fatal motorcycle crashes year-to-date, each one as witnessed through the eyes of the investigating police officer. I scan the report—date, time of day, location, presence of alcohol, weather condition, helmet and endorsement. I pause over the description.


MC vs. auto; motorcycle doing very high-speed wheelie on Stark St., 80-yr.-old woman pulled out; motorcyclist struck auto. Died at scene.

All states collect fatality data from traffic-related crashes that occur on public roads. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) compiles this data annually in the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) database. Facts are analyzed, conclusions drawn and reports issued—and every January 1, the process begins anew.


Single vehicle—lost control, slid across oncoming lane, hit curb and retaining wall near tunnel. Borrowed bike, 600 Yamaha, DOA, passenger died two hours later.

The 2001 FARS report indicates that 3181 motorcyclists were killed and an additional 60,000 injured in traffic crashes across the country, an increase of 10 percent and four percent, respectively, from the previous year. The 40-and-older age group accounted for 40 percent of all motorcyclist fatalities. And what were they riding? Look around—big bikes (more than 1001cc) carried almost two-thirds of the fatalities involving riders 40 and over.

This is not to say that younger riders aren't involved—the 20- to 29-year-old group has the highest number of fatalities among all age groups, bringing the mean age of motorcyclists killed in '01 to 36.3.

So what's taking us out? According to the FARS, multiple-vehicle crashes accounted for 54 percent of the deaths in '01. Seventy-five percent of those were frontal impacts—only six percent were struck in the rear. This shows that most crashes develop from hazards right in front of us. It pays to be vigilant and watch where we're going!



MC vs. auto. Motorcycle rear-ended Jeep waiting to turn left. Another motorcycle missed Jeep.

The remaining 46 percent of deaths can be attributed to single-vehicle crashes. In almost half (41 percent) of these crashes the motorcycle operators were intoxicated.


Single vehicle—motorcycle attempted to pass semi on right side, went off shoulder, hit road sign. Alcohol was a factor in this crash.

Oregon's portion of the FARS report differs from the national perspective. That is to be expected, since each state has differing rules, regulations, climates, riding populations and urban/rural conditions. Oregon has more rural road crashes, with the majority being single-vehicle crashes. Tragically, most of these occur in corners.


Single vehicle—lost control, left roadway on curve, hit power pole.
Single vehicle—lost control on curve, went over embankment. Dead at scene.
Single vehicle, missed 90-degree corner and landed in ditch. Left 37-ft. skid mark in attempt to stop. Helmet came off during crash.

Exploring Oregon's statistics further, I've discovered corners are a common factor in multivehicle crashes, too.


MC vs. auto; MC rider cut inside on blind corner at speed too fast for conditions, hit BMW head-on.
MC vs. auto; MC crossed centerline on corner, struck Ford head-on. MC rider and passenger both died at scene.
MC vs. auto; Rider lost control on curve, too much speed, crossed center line approximately five feet over line and hit Dodge head-on.

Lacking any other evidence, it is easy to conclude that excessive speed is the cause of these crashes. Very often there is nothing else to explain the unplanned exit—no gouge marks, no signs of traction loss or mechanical failure, no other vehicle involved, no visible roadway defect or animal strike. Fellow riders accompanying the victim completed the same corner without incident. So why did these riders leave their lane? After coaching thousands of riders, from rank beginners to veteran motor officers, I'm convinced that the answer lies in the eyes. Quite simply, where you look is where you go.

I believe riders crash in corners because they override sight distance—they ride faster than they can see in time to stop, swerve or safely react when the road tightens or something unexpected appears in their paths. Typically, riders make it through the first two-thirds of the corner and then just straighten up the remainder. What rapidly comes into view is a tree, utility pole, highway sign or, in really bad cases, a rock wall, cliff or approaching vehicle. The rider's attention is distracted at the worst possible moment. His eyes lock on the object and he is drawn in that direction as if guided by wire. I've visited crash scenes where there is nothing near the impact area except for a rural mailbox that's been snapped off at the ground. The rider could have cleared it on the left or right if target fixation hadn't taken over his guidance system that day. Your eyes are your guidance system! They feed your shoulder-mounted supercomputer the critical information necessary to corner safely—speed, slope, radius, path, obstacles, etc. The only thing you have to do to begin collecting that information is face your intended path of travel.

To avoid crashing in corners, swivel your head and look through the turn. Look as far as you can, even if it feels uncomfortable at first. Position yourself toward the outside of the lane to increase your line of sight through the curve. Limit your speed at the curve's entrance until you can see the path. Begin your turn only after the clear pathway comes into view. Only then should you begin adding throttle— when you know where the road leads and what hazards exist.


Single vehicle—rider came around curve, lost control, left roadway and hit power pole.
Single vehicle—motorcycle lost control on curve, left roadway, struck small tree. Found next day by pedestrian.
Single vehicle—motorcycle lost control on blind curve passing another motorcycle, hit guardrail.

I've watched riders attack corners during our track courses. At the beginning, we hold the riders to lower speeds to show them how to link turns smoothly and precisely. But when the speed-up signal appears, their cornering discipline crumbles. Rather than carving smooth, fluid turns, riders dive into turns too fast while fixating on the entrance (what they see) rather than the exit (what they don't). They turn in too soon, acquire their pathway too late and end up staring at the shoulder as they paint a border-to-border line through the turn. It's ugly. Their turn exits are precariously wide, a condition that is made worse as the subsequent corner rushes into view.

A student rider told me the other day that maneuvering his motorcycle was like "stuffing a cow through barbed wire." It doesn't have to be. A smooth rider can get through corners with much more precision, fewer disruptions and a much greater margin of safety...quicker, too.

Safe and smooth cornering starts with getting good information. Put your guidance system to use by reminding yourself to look ahead very early in the cornering process. Limit your entry speed. Enter turns at speeds that will allow you to stop or escape if the turn tightens or something unexpected blocks your path. Be careful with line selection—stay to the outside of your lane until your pathway comes into view. You can always add more throttle once the pathway is defined. The last-ride archive clearly shows that you can't always take it back.

Steve Garets is director of the Team Oregon Motorcycle

[DjPete]

I know its American a lot of this but its really almost all relevant...


Findings from the Hurt Study
Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures
A motorcycle accident study offers you and your students a wealth of information about accidents and how to avoid them. The Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures, is a study conducted by the University of Southern California (USC). With funds from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, researcher Harry Hurt investigated almost every aspect of 900 motorcycle accidents in the Los Angeles area. Additionally, Hurt and his staff analyzed 3,600 motorcycle traffic accident reports in the same geographic area.
Reprinted here for your information and use are the findings.

The final report is several hundred pages. If you choose to have this document in your resource library, the order information is:


Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures, Volume 1: Technical Report, Hurt, H.H., Ouellet, J.V. and Thom, D.R., Traffic Safety Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles,
California 90007, Contract No. DOT HS-5-01160, January 1981 (Final Report)

This document is available through:

National Technical Information Service
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, Virginia 22161
(703)-487-4600

Vol.I (The Main Report and Summary) is PB81206443 (~400 pages)
Vol.II (Appendix: Supplementary Data) is PB81206450 (~400 pages)
Either document is $42.95 plus $3.00 shipping. (circa 1990)




Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures
Findings

Throughout the accident and exposure data there are special observations which relate to accident and injury causation and characteristics of the motorcycle accidents studied. These findings are summarized as follows:

1. Approximately three-fourths of these motorcycle accidents involved collision with another vehicle, which was most often a passenger automobile.

2. Approximately one-fourth of these motorcycle accidents were single vehicle accidents involving the motorcycle colliding with the roadway or some fixed object in the environment.

3. Vehicle failure accounted for less than 3% of these motorcycle accidents, and most of those were single vehicle accidents where control was lost due to a puncture flat.

4. In single vehicle accidents, motorcycle rider error was present as the accident precipitating factor in about two-thirds of the cases, with the typical error being a slideout and fall due to overbraking or running wide on a curve due to excess speed or under-cornering.

5. Roadway defects (pavement ridges, potholes, etc.) were the accident cause in 2% of the accidents; animal involvement was 1% of the accidents.

6. In multiple vehicle accidents, the driver of the other vehicle violated the motorcycle right-of-way and caused the accident in two-thirds of those accidents.

7. The failure of motorists to detect and recognize motorcycles in traffic is the predominating cause of motorcycle accidents. The driver of the other vehicle involved in collision with the motorcycle did not see the motorcycle before the collision, or did not see the motorcycle until too late to avoid the collision.

8. Deliberate hostile action by a motorist against a motorcycle rider is a rare accident cause. The most frequent accident configuration is the motorcycle proceeding straight then the automobile makes a left turn in front of the oncoming motorcycle.

10. Intersections are the most likely place for the motorcycle accident, with the other vehicle violating the motorcycle right-of-way, and often violating traffic controls.

11. Weather is not a factor in 98% of motorcycle accidents.

12. Most motorcycle accidents involve a short trip associated with shopping, errands, friends, entertainment or recreation, and the accident is likely to happen in a very short time close to the trip origin.

13. The view of the motorcycle or the other vehicle involved in the accident is limited by glare or obstructed by other vehicles in almost half of the multiple vehicle accidents.

14. Conspicuity of the motorcycle is a critical factor in the multiple vehicle accidents, and accident involvement is significantly reduced by the use of motorcycle headlamps (on in daylight) and the wearing of high visibility yellow, orange or bright red jackets.

15. Fuel system leaks and spills were present in 62% of the motorcycle accidents in the post-crash phase. This represents an undue hazard for fire.

16. The median pre-crash speed was 29.8 mph, and the median crash speed was 21.5 mph, and the one-in-a-thousand crash speed is approximately 86 mph.

17. The typical motorcycle pre-crash lines-of-sight to the traffic hazard portray no contribution of the limits of peripheral vision; more than three-fourths of all accident hazards are within 45deg of either side of straight ahead.

18. Conspicuity of the motorcycle is most critical for the frontal surfaces of the motorcycle and rider.

19. Vehicle defects related to accident causation are rare and likely to be due to deficient or defective maintenance.

20. Motorcycle riders between the ages of 16 and 24 are significantly overrepresented in accidents; motorcycle riders between the ages of 30 and 50 are significantly underrepresented. Although the majority of the accident-involved motorcycle riders are male (96%), the female motorcycles riders are significantly overrepresented in the accident data.

22. Craftsmen, laborers, and students comprise most of the accident-involved motorcycle riders. Professionals, sales workers, and craftsmen are underrepresented and laborers, students and unemployed are overrepresented in the accidents.

23. Motorcycle riders with previous recent traffic citations and accidents are overrepresented in the accident data.

24. The motorcycle riders involved in accidents are essentially without training; 92% were self-taught or learned from family or friends. Motorcycle rider training experience reduces accident involvement and is related to reduced injuries in the event of accidents.

25. More than half of the accident-involved motorcycle riders had less than 5 months experience on the accident motorcycle, although the total street riding experience was almost 3 years. Motorcycle riders with dirt bike experience are significantly underrepresented in the accident data.

26. Lack of attention to the driving task is a common factor for the motorcyclist in an accident.

27. Almost half of the fatal accidents show alcohol involvement.

28. Motorcycle riders in these accidents showed significant collision avoidance problems. Most riders would overbrake and skid the rear wheel, and underbrake the front wheel greatly reducing collision avoidance deceleration. The ability to countersteer and swerve was essentially absent.

29. The typical motorcycle accident allows the motorcyclist just less than 2 seconds to complete all collision avoidance action.

30. Passenger-carrying motorcycles are not overrepresented in the accident area.

31. The driver of the other vehicles involved in collision with the motorcycle are not distinguished from other accident populations except that the ages of 20 to 29, and beyond 65 are overrepresented. Also, these drivers are generally unfamiliar with motorcycles.

32. Large displacement motorcycles are underrepresented in accidents but they are associated with higher injury severity when involved in accidents.

33. Any effect of motorcycle color on accident involvement is not determinable from these data, but is expected to be insignificant because the frontal surfaces are most often presented to the other vehicle involved in the collision.

34. Motorcycles equipped with fairings and windshields are underrepresented in accidents, most likely because of the contribution to conspicuity and the association with more experienced and trained riders.

35. Motorcycle riders in these accidents were significantly without motorcycle license, without any license, or with license revoked.

36. Motorcycle modifications such as those associated with the semi-chopper or cafe racer are definitely overrepresented in accidents.

37. The likelihood of injury is extremely high in these motorcycle accidents-98% of the multiple vehicle collisions and 96% of the single vehicle accidents resulted in some kind of injury to the motorcycle rider; 45% resulted in more than a minor injury.

38. Half of the injuries to the somatic regions were to the ankle-foot, lower leg, knee, and thigh-upper leg.

39. Crash bars are not an effective injury countermeasure; the reduction of injury to the ankle-foot is balanced by increase of injury to the thigh-upper leg, knee, and lower leg.

40. The use of heavy boots, jacket, gloves, etc., is effective in preventing or reducing abrasions and lacerations, which are frequent but rarely severe injuries.

41. Groin injuries were sustained by the motorcyclist in at least 13% of the accidents, which typified by multiple vehicle collision in frontal impact at higher than average speed.

42. Injury severity increases with speed, alcohol involvement and motorcycle size.

43. Seventy-three percent of the accident-involved motorcycle riders used no eye protection, and it is likely that the wind on the unprotected eyes contributed in impairment of vision which delayed hazard detection.

44. Approximately 50% of the motorcycle riders in traffic were using safety helmets but only 40% of the accident-involved motorcycle riders were wearing helmets at the time of the accident.

45. Voluntary safety helmet use by those accident-involved motorcycle riders was lowest for untrained, uneducated, young motorcycle riders on hot days and short trips.

46. The most deadly injuries to the accident victims were injuries to the chest and head.

47. The use of the safety helmet is the single critical factor in the prevention of reduction of head injury; the safety helmet which complies with FMVSS 218 is a significantly effective injury countermeasure.

48. Safety helmet use caused no attenuation of critical traffic sounds, no limitation of precrash visual field, and no fatigue or loss of attention; no element of accident causation was related to helmet use.

49. FMVSS 218 provides a high level of protection in traffic accidents, and needs modification only to increase coverage at the back of the head and demonstrate impact protection of the front of full facial coverage helmets, and insure all adult sizes for traffic use are covered by the standard.

50. Helmeted riders and passengers showed significantly lower head and neck injury for all types of injury, at all levels of injury severity.

51. The increased coverage of the full facial coverage helmet increases protection, and significantly reduces face injuries.

52. There is no liability for neck injury by wearing a safety helmet; helmeted riders had less neck injuries than unhelmeted riders. Only four minor injuries were attributable to helmet use, and in each case the helmet prevented possible critical or fatal head injury.

53. Sixty percent of the motorcyclists were not wearing safety helmets at the time of the accident. Of this group, 26% said they did not wear helmets because they were uncomfortable and inconvenient, and 53% simply had no expectation of accident involvement.

54. Valid motorcycle exposure data can be obtained only from collection at the traffic site. Motor vehicle or driver license data presents information which is completely unrelated to actual use.

55. Less than 10% of the motorcycle riders involved in these accidents had insurance of any kind to provide medical care or replace property.

[RaZ]

Yeh well,put it this way,moto gp riders,are the best riders pretty much out there,
an in a controlled enviroment,smooth surface,even they crash.
So what makes you think you wont?

I actually think they are not the best riders.... best riders on the track perhaps... but most of them wouldn't dare ride on the road

[bandit]

You have a lot of time on your hands don't ya Dj

Lots of good info mate .
My view is every one is trying to kill me so i do my best not to let them

[DjPete]

actually it was all from the one site so 2 min lift.
Very good stuff so I thought why not put it all up.

[BUSGO]

Yep, there is a lot of good hints there and I admit that I haven't taken the time to read them all yet.

I agree with Bandit.
When you are on a bike, you are a target for every other vehicle on the road, even other bikes.
But its not only other vehicles, the most important vehicle is the one that you are on and you are in control of.
The life at your mercy is YOURS.
ALWAYS ride within your limits and what the conditions allow.
If you are the type of rider that learns from personal experience and not other people's mistakes, you won't last long.

[Mutha]

My survival tips...

Stay out of other vehicles blind spots.

Keep plenty of room for emergency braking.

Double head check in busy built up area's

Don't wear earphones while riding.

Don't always trust a wave on from other drivers.

Watch out for the second fire brigade truck.

Steer clear of aggressive drivers.

Never fly higher than your angels.