Tag Archives: Riding/safety tips

Tips for riding roundabouts safely

Roundabouts are a particular danger for riders not being seen by drivers as this video clearly shows.

Even though rider Brendan Sellers of Adelaide is wearing bright red and white leathers and is on a bright red Kawasaki Ninja on a clear and sunny day, the Honda sedan driver just drives straight out in front of him.

Peachey/petherton roundabout tuesday 20-11-18 @ 4:30pm.Honda driver blatently failed to give-way as can be seen by his position entering the roundabout (as far left as he could go).He almost caused a severe accident.Open your eyes i have a right to return home safely as every one does, the 2 seconds they saved could have cost me dearly with no recourse for thier blatant stupidity

Publiée par Brendan Sellers sur Mercredi 21 novembre 2018

Brendan posted the video on Dashcams Adelaide to alert drivers to open their eyes.

“I have a right to return home safely as every one does,” he writes. “The two seconds they saved could have cost me dearly with no recourse for their blatant stupidity.”

Many riders have experienced similar situations at roundabouts and wonder why drivers either don’t see us or deliberately ignore us.

While roundabouts were designed to be safer than 90-degree intersections, even Austroads has acknowledged the danger for riders.

They have called for physical changes to roundabouts to make them safer for vulnerable road users such as motorcyclists, scooterists and cyclists. Click here to read more.

ROUNDABOUTS: PROBLEMS

There can be a number of reasons why vehicles drive out in front of riders that can be attributed to both the nature of a roundabout and the attitude of drivers.

Traffic flow

Austroads says Australian roundabouts are designed to allow plenty of vision so traffic can continue to flow, rather than coming to a complete stop every time.

They rarely have stop signs, only give-away or simply roundabout signs.roundabouts signs

This means drivers are not preparing or hoping to come to a full stop. They are anticipating a smooth flow through the roundabout. Some even straight-line the roundabout without slowing at all.

Approaching speed

At a crossroads intersection, drivers can have a difficult time estimating the approaching speed of a rider coming at them from a 90-degree angle.

When the rider is changing direction around a roundabout, it may be even more difficult to estimate their approach speed, so drivers can misjudge and drive out in front of them.

Blind spots

Since the rider isn’t approaching them from 90 degrees, but more like 60 degrees, that places them in the car’s A-pillar blind spot not in the driver’s window.

With curtain airbags in many modern cars, this pillar is thick and can easily obscure a narrow motorcycle.

SMIDSY crash roundabouts
Jaguar has recognised this problem with their “invisible” pillars. Click here to read more.

No threat

Of course, there is also the theory that a small motorcycle is not received as much of a threat compared with a vehicle the same size or bigger.

Consequently, some drivers have a tendency to miscalculate the risks.

There is also less of a perceived risk when the impending crash is more of a glancing blow of “sideswipe” because of the approach angle on a roundabout, rather than a head-in or t-bone crash at a crossroads intersection.

ROUNDABOUTS: SOLUTIONS

We’ve heard it all before, but we need to approach a roundabout the same way we approach any riding – ride like everyone else is out to get you!

There are many other scenarios at roundabouts other than the one above. All require a lot of caution and attention.

Roundabouts road safety rules
A typical sideswipe crash at a roundabout

Slow and cautious

That means a slow and cautious approach. Grab a lower gear and cover your gently apply the brakes.

If you need to stop you have already set up the brakes and just need to apply more pressure.

If you need to avoid a car by speeding up, then you have the right gear selected.

Look left right and behind

Obviously you need to look to your right to slow for traffic on the roundabout (opposite in left-drive countries).

But you also need to look left for vehicles stealing your right of way. Make sure you look the driver right in the eye to see that they have actually seen you.

If they haven’t, maybe give a quick blast of the horn to attract their attention. Don’t flash your lights was this is both illegal and could give the wrong impression that you are letting them go in front of you.

Rear-enders

You also need eyes in the back of your head!

Many riders are rear-ended at roundabouts. This is because they may be cautiously approaching and probably stopping while the traffic behind is anticipating continued progress and shunt the rider from behind.

Loud pipes?

The rider in the top video vents his frustration by loudly revving his bike. That really does nothing to alert the driver and it’s after the incident, anyway.

If you believe drivers have not seen you, a short blast on the horn will do more to attract attention than a loud exhaust. But that’s another debate!

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Most Important Road Rules Every Motorcycle Rider Should Never Break

Contributed post for our important American readers

Ah, America. The land of the free, the home of the brave. But to what extent are we allowed to exercise the freedom that was paid for in blood, sweat, and tears by our forebears? There are so many fun things to do in life and motorcycle riding is probably one of the most fun.

But what limits are set? What lines are drawn? When does enjoyment become harmful to an equally-entitled citizen? Well, as a general rule, you’re allowed to wave your fist around as long as it doesn’t hit you or anybody else.

But that’s a description that, while it encapsulates the core idea of rights, doesn’t really help much in terms of helping us regulate our behavior. Well, that’s what this article is intended to help with. While it’s true that there are so many rules to follow, these are the ones that you should never, ever break.

Always Wear a DOT-Approved Helmet

This is the most basic tenet of riding safety. You don’t need to finish a few units of Anatomy and Physiology to know that head injuries are extremely dangerous and that it’s so easy for them to become fatal. This is why the Department of Transportation puts heavy emphasis on wearing proper protective gear when riding your motorcycle. Here’s a quick guide on what exactly are the DoT’s standards when it comes to helmet types.DOT helmet stickers

Use Appropriate Lights and Light Signals

It may seem like a very basic rule but many motorists — not just motorcycle riders, but car drivers too — seem to forget it. You can’t expect your fellow motorists to be able to read your mind. Give them a heads up for them to be able to react to the next move you’re going to make. While it’s generally advisable to avoid riding your motorcycle at night (because motorcycles are easily overlooked), if you really must, then always, always keep your headlights on.

Following this rule will not only keep you from causing any accidents, it’ll also save you the trouble of having to pay for medical expenses and having to look for experienced motorcycle accident lawyers like the professionals at Farris, Riley & Pitt, LLP.

Don’t Swerve, Just Do a Slow Curve

Erratic driving and sudden turns will almost always result in accidents. Even when you make use of proper light signals, it’s still better to change direction gradually rather than abruptly. Motorcycles aren’t as stable as their 4-wheeled counterparts, and are therefore most prone to the loss of control.

This rule becomes even more important during less-than-ideal road conditions. Wet roads, and even worse, snow and ice-covered roads are to be avoided in general. Only ride when the weather’s ideal, unless you really need to.

Wear Proper Motorcycle Riding Attire

No, denim isn’t abrasion-resistant enough to pass for proper bike attire. All riders go down at some point in their bike-riding journey. You don’t want to be reminded of that time you lost control and ended up sliding (quite painfully too) across the rough concrete. Save yourself the pain and the scar and make sure to get armored protective gear.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Five tips for riding old wooden bridges

In the wake of a damning report that says one in five wooden bridges in Australia is in need of repair, we have compiled five tips on how riders should tackle these bridges safely.

Dangers for riders consist of rotting planks, exposed nails and spikes, and longitudinal planks that can knock a bike off course.

The poor condition of our bridges and the backlog of repairs is highlighted in the 2018 National State of the Assets: Roads and Community Infrastructure Report.

You might find that our tips about riding these bridges are similar to our tips for riding through roadworks and gravel.

Five Tips for riding wooden bridges

Grafton Five tips for riding wooden bridges
Longitudinal planks can be a danger to all two-wheelers
  1. Slow down and approach all wooden bridges with caution. Don’t hit them at top speed as wiping off speed on a wooden bridge can be another issue as wood is not as grippy as asphalt.
  2. If it’s in a remote area and looks very old, you might even consider hopping off the bike and walking the bridge first to see if there are any missing, loose or rotten planks. It’s a bit like how you might walk a creek crossing first before venturing across.
  3. When you start riding the bridge, keep your eyes up like on a gravel road, looking ahead for any hazards. This will also help with your balance if you have to ride between or on a longitudinal plank. Never look down or that’s where you will end up!
  4. If you’re riding in a group, tackle the bridge one at a time. Watch where the other riders in front go and follow their line. If they made it across safely, then so should you.
  5. Ride the bridge in a low gear at a constant throttle so you can quickly either stop or increase speed as needed.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com