- This topic has 12 replies, 11 voices, and was last updated 14 years, 8 months ago by SafetyFirst.
Riders driving
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August 14, 2009 at 8:40 pm #3296ranetteParticipant
Does anybody else feel that riding has made them a much better driver? I’ve always been a decent driver, not so much as a fender bender in over 20 years, and I believe that road awareness has helped make me a decent rider. However, I believe being out there on a bike, so vulnerable, has made me even more aware and proactive when I get back into my car. I anticipate what other drivers are going to do and take action as if my life depended on it, much like I do when I am on two wheels.
One somewhat negative to the above is I’ve become very critical of other drivers. My wife who grew up in NYC, finally has her permit and is learning how to drive, with me as her instructor. She’s doing really well, certainly an alert, conservative driver. However, every now and then I scream at her, “How come you didn’t anticipate that guy was going to change lanes? It’s an exit lane but not well marked, you should have known he was going to try to get out of it!” She looks at me like, hey I’m doing pretty well for a beginner, and she’s right, I’m criticizing nuance when I should just be looking at the big picture. She’s doing well and learning a little every time we go out which is the whole idea of learning anything.
August 14, 2009 at 11:22 pm #21612briderdtParticipantI have never considered myself a bad driver, in fact probably on of the top 25% maybe (doesn’t every one say that?). But riding has definitely upped my game for being smooth in traffic, and watching for potential dangers.
August 14, 2009 at 11:29 pm #21613MunchParticipantsame as the above…only one side effect…. I ride so much that once I do have to drive my cage…I find myself trying to sit in the middle of the lane….which puts my right tires at or on the line…lol……. oh well….once the kids head to college…no more worries on that one.
August 15, 2009 at 12:09 am #21617eternal05ParticipantMy spacial and behavioral awareness has increased tremendously to the point where I haven’t been surprised once in the car in the last year or more. I now seem to notice every dumbass pulling stunts leaving warning signals way in advance. It’s just expected when they do something sudden or erratic. Or selfish.
August 16, 2009 at 6:18 pm #21640RabParticipantI’ve occasionally found myself wondering if I could squeeze between the other cars to filter to the front at traffic lights.
‘Works fine on the bike, but I’ve actually thought about doing it while driving the minivan!!
Fortunately, I’ve caught myself before actually trying it
August 16, 2009 at 6:46 pm #21641AmorylParticipantwell since I still havn’t managed to get my bike…I can’t say that I’ve improved my driving due to my riding. but for the past 4 years I’ve had to drive a cargo van to and from customer’s houses as part of my job, and prior to that I spent a good 2 years driving a security vehicle on mobile patrol. but the cargo van has DEFINATELY affected how I drive. It corners like a pregnant cow, it’s slow on the uptake, it’s slow to stop, and it’s so huge that sudden lane changes are difficult. I had a trainee stop playing the “bet you a dollar that suv’s going to cut me off” after he owed me about $15 in less than an hour. now when I’m riding with a co-worker or a supervisor I constantly get “how come you never get cut off like everyone else?” well…it’s because I can tell when someone’s going to cut them off and react long before they do, usually by giving them enough space that they don’t HAVE to cut me off. oh there’s still the occasional idiot out there that comes out of NOWHERE, but it’s rare. in my cage I drive much like I’m in my van, except I’m a bit more likely to make a sudden lane change.
I think what I’m trying to say is that for me, driving the van as much as I have, and do, will instead make me a much safer rider. I have a very well developed sense of situational awareness, much better, I’d argue, than most cagers. and really when you learn that a huge white van with red and blue lettering all over it is invisible to these SUV soccer moms, you learn that you’re invisible no matter WHAT you’re on/in.
August 16, 2009 at 7:36 pm #21643samgoodyParticipantLike Amoryl, I haven’t got a motorcycle yet. However, since I’ve started doing research on motorcycles and reading forums like BBM, I’ve managed to tone down my car driving a bit. I wasn’t lead footed or super aggressive in the cage, but I no longer fight the other cagers for position like I used to. Nowadays I’m just happy to let all the idiots slide by, then pull up right next to them at the traffic light despite all their speeding and reckless driving. All I’d done is changed my mind about how I choose to drive.
One thing that has aided me, though, is that I had already developed a good awareness of what surrounds me when I go down the road. Most of the time I can anticipate whether someone is going to cut me off or do some other stupid thing well in advance. Before, this was essential to fighting for position; now it’s a defensive driving mechanism.
What a motorcycle may have done is it changed your mindset about how you choose to drive. In other words, anybody can become a better car driver whether or not they ride a motorcycle by choosing to be informed about safe driving practices, and then putting that knowledge to use on the road.
I’ve also noticed that there are some things that are probably universal to both cars and motorcycles as far as safety goes, and should help you become more aware of what’s around you. Here’s a short list:
1. Adjust your mirrors correctly – Take the time to do this as your mirrors are your primary tool for knowing what’s behind you.
2. Shoulder check – You should do this even in your cage. Even if you set your mirrors up correctly, you still have blind spots. My car has a blind spot big enough to fit an SUV in it, and I nearly lane changed into one once because I didn’t do the shoulder check.
3. Head and eyes – You go where you look, so look through the turns as much as you can. I rode with a couple of motorcyclists in their cages, and it’s surprising that some of them use their head and eyes perfectly on the bike, but then forget all about it when in the cage.
4. Brake lights ahead of you – Don’t just pay attention to the brake lights of the car directly ahead of you, pay attention to brake lights of other cars up ahead as well. If you see a lot of brake lights lighting up, it probably means you will have to come to a stop even if the car directly in front doesn’t light up its brake lights. I nearly learned this the hard way when I almost slammed into the back of a car that had come to a stop but whose brake lights weren’t working.Sorry if my post is a bit long-winded, but these thoughts just came pouring out, so here they are.
Cheers,
SamgoodyAugust 16, 2009 at 7:49 pm #21645owlieParticipantThe other benefit on item 4 is that is you already keep a comfortable safety cushion, watching the brake lights of the driver ahead of the one directly in front of you can help you gauge wether the guy directly in front of you is riding his brakes because he is tailgating. I spend alot less time on my brakes now that I have figured that trick out.
August 16, 2009 at 8:44 pm #21649SafetyFirstParticipantI almost did that when someone was taking their sweet old time to make a right-hand turn into a driveway. Luckily I remembered I was in the cage, not on the bike.
August 16, 2009 at 11:59 pm #21654AmorylParticipantone thing I’ve really noticed since I’ve started researching motorcycles, and became a member of forums such as here, is that I’ve really REALLY started noticing motorcycles more. I much more actively look for them, and I give them more room than I may otherwise have given them in the past.
there are things that you can do to change the way you drive and interact that you simply never would have thought of without looking at it from the perspective of the other side
August 17, 2009 at 12:55 am #21655Shadow89ParticipantIn response to the initial post, I feel the opposite. Ever since I started to drive I try to notice everything; traffic intensity, predicting traffic and the road itself. Since the beginning I felt that it was was more exciting to do it, kept me interested. Once I got my motorcycle I was glad that I payed attention to all those details. Not only do I have to be more cautious when riding but the small thing that we take for granite well driving, such as pot holes, wind, blind spots, etc., we notice more while riding. The one thing that I have noticed more while riding is the riding community. What I mean by that is when I’m riding I get some kind of acknowledgment when I come across another rider. You don’t even have to know the person yet I find myself of exchanging greetings with complete strangers. As for a vehicle, all you get the middle finger from road rage.
August 17, 2009 at 2:54 am #21656VitricParticipantI’ve always paid special attention to the road when I’m driving anywhere. When I talk to my friends in the car I keep losing my place and only speak a few words at a time because my mind is on driving, not what I’m saying. When I’m riding my bike I notice even more… I notice how every little obstruction in the road feels, the uneven paving (thank you PennDOT), people driving around me, I pay more attention to my speed… even though when I ride I’m just cruising at whatever feels comfortable, which at my experience level is usually 45-50mph.
But yes, I do feel that riding a motorcycle has improved my cage driving as well.
August 17, 2009 at 1:25 pm #21679SafetyFirstParticipantYou are correct with #2. The rider coach in the BRC class did a great demo on that. He had me be part of the demo. He had me sit on the bike, adjust the mirrors to where I’d set them. Then he stood in my blind spot, and asked me to see if I could see him in my mirrors. I told him I couldn’t. He slapped the side of the bike. The point is, unless your head is turned around all the way to your shoulder, you can’t check your blind spot. And unlike in a car where swapping some paint involves both of you exchanging insurance info, going on with your day, and a trip to the body shop in the next few days, having that happen on a motorcycle involves you getting hurt and your bike getting messed up.
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