Despite the cool, windy, rainy days recently, there is no doubt spring is breaking through. The signs are everywhere: daylight savings time, gushing streams and rivers, grass showing almost everywhere, pussy willow buds peeking out, flowers starting to reveal their sun worshipping nature, plus – on our streets and roads motorcyclists and bicyclists have reappeared.
Two-wheeled riders are ending their winter hibernation and returning to the traffic mix. Similar to children on the streets and school buses on the roads in the beginning weeks of school after summer vacation, car, SUV, and truck drivers need to raise their alertness level as two wheelers come back onto our roads. During the winter, we get accustomed to them not being there. We get a bit lax about looking for them. This is the right time for a reminder.
Because motorcyclists and bicyclists are smaller, narrower, and sometimes without lights they are easier to miss seeing in traffic. Correcting that isn’t hard; there are a few simple techniques to use.
Similar to the well worn real estate saying: “Use your mirrors, Use your mirrors, Use your mirrors! Turn your head! Look, Look, Look.” Also, be sure to check the adjustment of your mirrors. A good guideline is when you shift your eyes to look in one of your side mirrors you should clearly see any vehicles in the lane immediately next to the one you are in. Your center mirror should give you a clear view of the lane directly behind you through your back window. Adding a small convex (wide angle) mirror to your flat driver’s side mirror helps a lot, too.
Your eyes and mental focus should constantly move around, scanning traffic in front, left, right, and behind. Critique yourself. If your vision stays on just one of these areas too long, change it. Keep moving your eyes and attention to search everywhere so you always know if other vehicles, pedestrians, or hazards are near you. If you are startled or surprised by something that you didn’t see coming or anticipate…be upset with yourself… you goofed! When you are fully involved and concentrating on what is around you there will be nearly no surprises. Make zero surprises your goal! This is a key element of what is known as “Active Safety.” Those are factors contributing to accident prevention vs. factors designed to reduce injuries in an accident: “Passive Safety.”
Another key factor of Active Safety is knowledge. Knowing where to look, what to look for and frequent accident situations helps give you an accident prevention edge. Motorcycle accident research identified one situation as the most common car or truck vs. motorcycle accident. The vehicles are on the same road moving toward each other in their correct lanes. At a four-way intersection the car or truck makes a left turn across the motorcyclist’s path and they collide. It can happen to bicyclists, too. Either way, it can be the multi thousand pound car or truck’s fender and the rider’s leg. In that case the fender always wins. Knowing this is an extremely frequent accident situation should put you on high alert approaching these intersections.
Look, look, look. Car, SUV, and truck drivers need to search for those hard to see bicycle and motorcycle riders. For the riders, watch those oncoming vehicles carefully. Be very alert and careful approaching intersections. Check their left front wheel for rotation and direction. That wheel will tell you if the vehicle is moving and what direction it is going. With mag or spoke type wheels so common, rotation is easy to spot.
Knowledge is power. Knowledge might save you from a nasty accident. Keep your eyes moving, use your mirrors, and use your mental skills. Active safety can keep you out of accidents and enjoying the warmer spring days to come.
Neil Tolhurst, a New Hartford resident, is a former Motorcycle Safety Director at Northern Illinois University, American Honda Motorcycle Safety Assistant Manager, MSF Chief Instructor, published author and conference speaker; honored by 10 national awards including Outstanding Individual and Outstanding Young Men of America; former semi-pro motorcycle racer & WERA Regional Champion.