Fear of being T-boned is ruining riding

[yorkie_chris]

Originally Posted by Ed

I had the back end fishtailing across the road and I was screaming to myself 'get off the f*cking brake' and passed the car on the inside with the wheels on the loose gravel. No point swerving, I was again towards the crown, I'd have collided. Going a bit faster this time, 60? 65? I had to stop, arms and legs were like jelly. Old boy didn't seem to think he had done anything wrong and drove off.

It spooked me

Thanks for input folks, some good ideas here

Some good in it all, you learned a lesson about not stomping the back brake (don't cover it when riding, you don't need it...) without falling off. A bit of brown adrenaline won't kill you and getting spooked a bit occasionally stops you getting overconfident and killing yourself.

I ride out that way alot dude so if you want someone to ride with some time drop me a message an i will see if i can give you any feedback about road position an so forth? im not a instructor or anything but have done alot of miles an i ride in a fairly safe but quick manner.
Cheers
Ben

Ed, if all goes to plan Bev is off to Vyrnwy on Sunday so I think I'm free if you want to go for a ride. Try wearing a hi vis vest as from our ride and conversation the other night you've got it into your head that your bike is hard to see due to the colour and the fact that the frontal area is quite small, compared to my sprint it is, but your headlight is very bright and you are not that invisible, try to put the negative thoughts aside and remember your IAM training, especially the position for safety part, although your road positioning is on the most part fine. If you're available for Sunday let me know and I'll put more of my observer hat on and see if I can help. If all else fails trade in your bike and get a gold wing, no way anyone can miss one of those.

Daryl.

I do much as you describe Ed, rolling off and going wide to make myself more noticeable. Eye contact is preferred and if you can get it then the drivers tend to react - or I have found they have anyway...but as someone mentioned, just because they look doesn't mean they've seen. Tensing up with fear isn't a great thing though, if you've seen the junction and the car approaching then you've already taken actions to avoid so you're halfway there. I go wide (if safe) even if they're not planning on pulling out because they have seen me, just to make it clear I'd anticipated their next action.

If someone goes to pull out, sees me and stops I actually nod a thankyou, as if I'm grateful they didn't just barge out onto the road. The way I see it, the next time they come out of a junction it #might# stick in their head a biker was thankful. You never know.

I'm reading Roadcraft for the second time atm, I read it while I was on my 125 and now reading it again seeing as I've done a fair few miles on the SV. It makes so much sense.

Originally Posted by missyorkie_chris

but as someone mentioned, just because they look doesn't mean they've seen

If someone goes to pull out, sees me and stops I actually nod a thankyou, as if I'm grateful they didn't just barge out onto the road. The way I see it, the next time they come out of a junction it #might# stick in their head a biker was thankful. You never know.

And it's not actually the drivers fault as such. When your eyes look at any scene, they see more detail than the brain can process, so the brain actually only processes a percentage of the information available, deeming the rest of it irrelevant. If they are not expecting to see a two wheeler at that particular place in the picture, the drivers brain may put you into the "irrelevant" percentage. Parts of the THINK! campaign are designed to target this, because if the driver consciously looks for and is expecting to see a two wheeler, then they will if it is there.

I also nod or give a little wave if I think a driver was a threat, and he saw me, and in my case I may have reduced my speed by up to 20 mph so I can stop if they do pull out, so compared to the normal traffic flow, they have not only had to see me they also had to wait for me to pass before they can move. A bit of communication will actually register in their brain, which can only be a positive thing.

A huge part of protecting yourself from other drivers is understanding the psychology, how people think when they drive a car, and indeed when they are likely not to think. They are not out to get you, they are just human and they make mistakes and have accidents.

The majority of bike accidents are single vehicle, rider error, type stuff. What most of us need to learn most of all if how to protect ourselves from ourselves!

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

I also nod or give a little wave if I think a driver was a threat, and he saw me, and in my case I may reduced my speed by up to 20 mph so I can stop if they do pull out, so compared to the normal traffic flow, they have not only had to see me they also had to wait for me to pass before they can move. A bit of communication will actually register in their brain, which can only be a positive thing.

Something I did type before deleting strangely. My seemingly natural reaction to seeing a car approach a junction is to wipe off a lot of speed (depending what speed I was at and if I'll beat the car to the junction anyway) and make it clear I saw the car before it probably saw me. I strongly feel it's the little contact you do make that could save the life of another. Even a slight nod of thanks or an obvious shake of annoyance can get the point across and then you're an actual person on another vehicle, not just part of the background.

Another good one...

Originally Posted by missyorkie_chris

then you're an actual person on another vehicle

You are wise before your biking years MissYC!

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

You are wise before your biking years MissYC!

Not really, more that I've come to know people

Love that second vid

Originally Posted by darylB

Ed, if all goes to plan Bev is off to Vyrnwy on Sunday so I think I'm free if you want to go for a ride. Try wearing a hi vis vest as from our ride and conversation the other night you've got it into your head that your bike is hard to see due to the colour and the fact that the frontal area is quite small, compared to my sprint it is, but your headlight is very bright and you are not that invisible, try to put the negative thoughts aside and remember your IAM training, especially the position for safety part, although your road positioning is on the most part fine. If you're available for Sunday let me know and I'll put more of my observer hat on and see if I can help. If all else fails trade in your bike and get a gold wing, no way anyone can miss one of those.

Daryl.

Yes I think I am free Sunday...

Hell will freeze over before the other suggestion....