Accept the possibility that a serious fall may be in your future and prepare for it by protecting yourself from injury. You will avoid a lot of pain and suffering if you are wearing protective gear at the moment when your skill or luck runs out. Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst!
The lesson is, if you think you are safe on a motorcycle, you’re wrong! You could die on any ride you take. With this sobering knowledge, what are you going to do about it? I suggest you become the most skilled motorcycle rider you can be.
Some environments have a higher likelihood of injury.
Defining Risk
An accurate measure of risk includes two factors:
•Your risk exposure and the probability of a mishap
•The consequences of being involved in a crash
The probability of a particular danger depends on your risk exposure and your attitude toward risk. Risk exposure is closely tied to your riding environment. For example, riding in pouring rain or in dense traffic is much riskier than riding on a dry day on a deserted road.
Your probability of a crash also depends on your willingness to take risks. For example, if you ride while intoxicated or use the public roadways as a racetrack, then you shouldn’t be surprised if you’re involved in a higher than average number of close calls and crashes.
The consequences of a crash vary depending on several factors, including how fast you are going at the time and whether you slide to a stop in an open area or hit a hard object. Some environments have a higher likelihood of injury. For example, a crash on the street often results in a catastrophic collision with a guardrail or curbing, but this terrible fate is much less likely if you crashed on a racetrack. Even though racetrack speeds may be higher, the lack of roadside barriers decreases the likelihood of injury.
Measuring Risk
Risk perception is formed by our attitude, experiences, knowledge, and ability. People also measure risk and determine their risk acceptance by finding a balance between risk and reward. But sometimes it’s tough to know how much risk we are exposed to. An imaginary tool you can use to measure risk is the “Risk Meter.” Imagine a gauge mounted next to your speedometer that reacts to the amount of risk you are being exposed to. The needle moves toward “more risk” when you approach a busy intersection or when you approach a decreasing radius curve, and then eases back toward “less risk” when danger passes.
Another instrument you should learn to utilize is your “Anxiety Meter.” This gauge responds to your subconscious as it tells you when you are entering a high-risk situation or approaching the limits of your comfort zone. This usually occurs when you cannot process information quickly enough. One easy way to combat this problem is to always ride at speeds that allow you to calmly respond to any change in your traffic or cornering situation.
Imagine a “Risk Meter” and “Anxiety Meter” to help gauge risk.
About Crashing
It doesn’t matter how old or young you are, what type of motorcycle you ride, or where you ride, we all agree that one of the worst things that can happen to you on a motorcycle is for you to crash. Notice that I am not using the word “accident” when describing a mishap. Nobody wants to crash, so technically all mishaps are accidents, but the term “accident” suggests that it was an act of God or a random incident that happens for no reason. Thinking that way will just cause you to get into more “accidents” by not taking responsibility for the incident and therefore learning nothing from the experience.
A crash is almost always caused by someone screwing up. Unfortunately, we cannot expect human beings to be perfect all the time. Whether a crash is the result of another driver’s poor judgment or from rider error, the fact is that most incidents can been prevented. I know what you’re saying—“it was the other guy’s fault!” Maybe. But where does that get you? Your job is to prevent the crashes from happening in the first place.
How Crashes Happen
Every Monday morning, I find myself scanning the news for reports of motorcycle accidents from the past weekend. It may be a rather morbid thing to do, but these reports can provide a glimpse into why motorcyclists crash. Many serious crashes I read about involve another driver, but about half of all fatal crashes are single-vehicle incidents where the rider fails to negotiate a curve.
Too often, the primary cause of crashes is the motorcyclist riding beyond his or her skill level and the limits of the environment. One news report I read described a rider who had collided with a car going in the opposite direction on a lightly traveled scenic road. I am familiar with the corner where the incident took place. It isn’t a particularly challenging corner, but witnesses said he had been riding at excessive speed before he crossed the centerline and hit the car head on. It also mentioned that he had been riding with some other motorcyclists who came upon the scene moments after it happened. The rider died instantly, and the innocent driver was seriously injured and flown out by helicopter.
So, what happened? The news report was vague, so we can’t know for sure, but we can imagine that the rider was high on adrenaline, riding with fast friends and pushing his limits. I imagine him drifting wide, panic causing him to grab the brakes and stand the bike upright as his eyes lock on the approaching car.
Crashes like this are avoidable. So why do riders get themselves into such serious trouble? It’s usually because riders want to enjoy the feeling of cornering fast, but have an optimistic and inaccurate perception of the risks and their own ability. Optimistic riders are more likely to charge into a blind corner, willing to gamble that they can handle any situation that may occur. They may also trust that all other road users will behave just as they’re supposed to, stopping at traffic lights, changing lanes predictably, and yielding to the right of way. But optimism is a fool’s friend in this case.
Identifying a potential hazard is a large part of the battle, but to avoid a collision or crash also requires an avoidance action, such as braking, turning, or swerving. Unfortunately, many riders act inappropriately or fail to act at all. The Motorcycle Accidents in Depth Study (MAIDS) report shows that 69.8% of riders attempted some form of collision avoidance before the impact, but that a significant number of riders who attempted no avoiding action. This reaction failure may be because of “panic-freeze” or because there simply was no time to complete the action.
Even when riders have the ability and the time to perform an evasive maneuver, it doesn’t mean they will perform well. According to MAIDS, about 20% of riders end up crashing because of a loss of control while attempting an evasive maneuver. The most common example is when a rider over-brakes, skids, and collides with a car, even though the rider may have had plenty of time to stop safely if he had applied the brakes properly and avoided skidding. Another example are riders who enter a turn too fast for their ability and instead of leaning more, stand the bike up and run off the road.
Most riders facing a hazard will attempt an avoidance maneuver, but many choose the wrong one or fail to perform well enough. One example is choosing to swerve instead of brake. An unsuccessful swerve without any significant reduction in speed can be disastrous as the rider collides full-speed into the car or obstacle. Slowing before swerving is an option, but this requires more time and there is a significant risk of losing traction if you swerve and brake at the same time.
There are many reasons why crashes occur. I recommend you take a look at the MAIDS findings for yourself (www.maids-study.eu). You will gain an understanding of crash causation