Bangor H.O.G.

HOW TO PREPARE FOR A BAD TRAFFIC SITUATION

 There’s a time in everyone’s bike-riding days when you need to make split-second decisions about a developing traffic situation. Some situations may not be as serious as others, but some decisions can mean the difference between life and death, so it’s best to be prepared.

Preparing for potentially dangerous situations involves a combination of experience and preparation. The more experience you have, the more ingrained and automatic your reactions. However, for many riders, especially new ones without much experience, your best bet is to be prepared by knowing several valuable pieces of information that can be helpful in a dangerous situation. The first of these is known as defensive driving, which includes constantly thinking three thoughts:

Other drivers can’t see me

Other drivers don’t see me

Other drivers are not looking at all

While this type of thinking may seem overly negative and pessimistic, it goes a long way to making you a better driver because it reminds you to be constantly alert for bad traffic situations. Your increased alertness then leads to faster reactions, which can save you from a bad situation.

Another good rule of thumb is to remember that most of the threats to you come from the traffic ahead of you. As a result, it’s important to spend most of your time scanning and looking at the road ahead of you, not elsewhere. This can be hard to implement if you live in a large urban area like a big, busy city. In this environment, you need to keep your eyes peeled in almost every direction: on the vehicle ahead, on your side, behind you, and well ahead of you as well. Practice looking 15 seconds ahead and as much as 30 seconds when traffic permits.

Let’s also consider advice offered by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, which developed a set of excellent rules for anticipating and dealing with traffic threats to bikers. The rules fall under the acronym SIPDE, pronounced sip-dee, which stands for the following tips:

 - Scan: Actively search for hazards from the environment, roadway, and traffic.

- Identify: Determine which items constitute actual or potential hazards.

- Predict: What the hazard is likely to do or how it might affect you or other road users.

- Decide: Determine the course of action based on your observations and anticipation of what the hazard might do.

- Execute: Carry out your plan or move away from the threat by slowing down, stopping, or swerving.

In addition to following the tips above, consider a ‘Rider’s Edge Course’. If you are new to riding, or maybe it’s been awhile since you last rode a rider safety course is the best way to insure that your rides are safe and pleasant.

For more information on a Rider’s Edge Course go to: http://www.maineharley.com/edge.php