I eventually learned that there is such a wide array of hazards lurking out there that you must keep your mental radar looking for anything. I can assure you that there is no limit to the hazards you will find out in motorcycle land once you start looking and thinking. Whatever the situation, you must figure out what’s happening and avoid getting caught up in the problem.
To help you on your journey toward getting really observant about the riding situation, I’ve assembled some common crash scenarios into this handbook. Don’t feel that you have to read this in any specific order. Take it along with you on your rides, and pop it open to any page while you’re taking a break. You’ll probably encounter some of these dangers regularly, but don’t be surprised when one of the less likely scenarios happens right in front of you. And you can chuckle to yourself, “Dave, you’re not going to believe this, but…”
Remembering some of these strategies might just save you from a nasty crash. I hope that thinking about the scenarios in this handbook will help you on your quest to spot hazards for yourself. Maybe you can top a million crash-free miles!
David L. Hough
Alien Asphalt
The best clue about surface hazards is a change in color or texture.
You’re out for a ride with some buddies and, at the moment, you’re leading the group. The weather has been sunny and warm, and you’re pleased that there’s almost no traffic on the back roads you’re following. You see what appears to be new paving ahead, but there aren’t any orange construction signs warning you of a serious hazard. Something about the situation spooks you a bit, but you don’t want to be seen as overly cautious, so you maintain speed.
But just as your front tire rolls onto the darker surface, steering gets funny and the bike starts plowing from side to side. You realize the new asphalt is very soft, allowing your tires to sink in. You roll off the throttle and stab at the rear brake pedal to warn the riders behind you, but it’s too late. Your front tire digs into the berm of soft asphalt at the center of the lane, and the bike veers toward the ditch. You barely manage to stop in the deep gravel at the side of the new paving without dropping the bike. The next rider isn’t so lucky. His bike wiggles around and then muddles into the gravel berm and crashes on its side. The next rider in line attempts to brake quickly enough to stop short of the soft pavement but is rear-ended and knocked down. It’s a disaster.
Road maintenance doesn’t always work out as planned. Sometimes the asphalt mix comes out very soft or oily and doesn’t bond together well enough to roll down firm and smooth. In this situation, the asphalt might eventually pack down under the weight of passing vehicles, but at the moment, it’s like soft gravel coated with slippery black oil. If you had looked a bit more carefully, you might have noticed the loose gravel pushed to the sides of the wheel tracks, hinting that perhaps the surface is not as firm as it may appear. You might want to blame the road crew for leaving such a mess, but a big part of your job is to maintain your awareness of the situation and not be surprised by surface hazards.
You know what the surface is like under your tires at the moment because you can feel it. When you see a change in the color or texture of the surface ahead, be suspicious and reduce your speed until you can determine the feel and makeup of the new surface.
Alley Acumen
Alleys are intersections, too.
You’re riding home from the hardware store with some fasteners you need to complete a project. You know about the danger of intersections, where other drivers often make sudden turns. You just passed through a busy intersection without incident, so you’re mentally relaxing until you get to the next intersection and mulling over your purchase of the 10 mm stainless steel bolts, hoping they are the right length.
Just as the car ahead of you passes an alley, an SUV suddenly begins to pull out. You’re startled, but manage to swerve left and avoid a crash. Now you’re shaking from the near collision, wondering what you might have done better to avoid the scare.
When riding in traffic, you know that intersections are potentially dangerous, but it’s important to recognize that alleys, driveways, streetside businesses, and parking lots also create intersections with the potential for collisions. Alley collisions are typically more likely to be fatal, perhaps because we just don’t appreciate the danger there.
Motorcycling is a full-time job, and allowing yourself to be distracted by other thoughts in hazardous locations puts you at additional risk. Surviving the street requires that you maintain your awareness of everything that’s happening around you, which includes not only vehicles you can see but your prediction of vehicles you can’t see yet, based on the situation.
When you are approaching any intersection where you can see or predict a vehicle on a cross street, including vehicles in alleys, be prepared to take action to avoid a collision. You can change speed to increase separation, but it’s usually better to slow down than to speed up. Accelerating increases forward energy, which makes it more difficult to pull off a quick stop or swerve if that becomes necessary.
You could also move farther away from the path of vehicles that potentially could collide with you. For instance, approaching an alley or side street on your right, move to the left side of your lane or even change to the left lane on a multilane street. Establishing eye contact with the other driver doesn’t guarantee that he or she won’t pull out, but if you can’t see the other driver, you know he or she can’t see you. If you suspect that the other vehicle might pull out, it is smart to brake early to make space, to avoid having to attempt a quick avoidance maneuver in the last couple of seconds.
Arrow Slides
Some of those arrows on the surface can be as slick as ice.
You’re on a trip to a different state to visit a friend, and today you’re trying to navigate through a confusing neighborhood to find the correct side street. It’s not raining at the moment, but the streets are damp. There are some white arrows on the surface, and you momentarily panic that you might be in the wrong lane to go straight. But now you realize the arrows allow you to go straight, so you ignore them. When the light turns green, you attempt to accelerate, but when your rear tire rolls onto the last arrow, it suddenly steps sideways. You’re barely able to keep the bike under control and avoid sideswiping the car on your left, but the close call really got your attention, and you now realize those white arrows are very slick.
Different states and different road maintenance departments use different techniques for applying lane markings. Depending on the state and city, some of those white arrows and lines you encounter may be smooth plastic glued to the surface, rather than paint. The smooth plastic is relatively slippery even when dry, but just a little moisture can make them as slippery as ice.
It’s always a good tactic to avoid riding over any white surface markings. If you must cross, select a line that carries you over the narrowest portion of the marking. And when accelerating over a potentially slick marking, it’s smart to go easy on the throttle until you’re past the hazard. Note that in this city, the crosswalks are marked with parallel lines, allowing you to put your tires between the lines for better traction.
When braking to a stop, temporarily ease off the brakes until your tires are clear of the potentially slick markings. It’s also smart to stop short of any surface markings.
Not all states or cities use slick plastic surface markings, but when you’re in an unfamiliar area, it’s best to assume they are slick until proven otherwise.
Back-end Bashes
Getting through traffic quickly requires that you maintain