....................-Action Choices-

There are only three actions you can take in the act stage: you can communicate, adjust your speed, or adjust your position (or direction). What action you take will depend on your comfort level, your skill level, the limitations of your bike, and the situation itself.

Communicate:

Communicate your presence and intentions.

• Flashing from high to low beam can send false information. It can mean you are relinquishing your rights or giving your okay, whereas some drivers interpret it as "flash-to-pass" or even a hostile gesture. Be careful with this one….
• Riding on high beam can be irritating to other motorists. Check state laws for legality. (Minnesota Law - you must switch to low beam when following 200 feet behind another vehicle or when an approaching vehicle is 1000 feet in front.)

Brake lights (flashing or modulators)

Modulators- (A headlight modulator is a device that “pulses” the headlight (high-low-high-low) during daylight hours only at a rate which draws added attention to an approaching motorcycle. These devices are legal in the eyes of the U.S. Department of Transportation as an exception to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 571.108. In a nutshell, that law states that no vehicle except emergency vehicles can use flashing lights. The reason that the modulator is legal is because it doesn’t flash (on-off-on-off), but as described above, pulses.----- A taillight modulator does the same thing by flashing the rear stop lamp when the brakes are applied. The flashing of the brake light draws more attention to a slowing motorcycle than a steady one. While it might seem that “flashing” would be illegal based on the standard mentioned above, it seems it is actually legal because a rider could manually flash the brake light if he or she chose to do so.----- Headlight and taillight modulators are widely available for $35-150. Modulators are legal in Minnesota and in many parts of the world. Check with your local authorities to be sure.)

Pulsate the brake light while at a stop. This will get you noticed, but some motorists find it annoying. Still, the safety factor is something to consider.

• May be effective in communicating with a tailgater, but be cautious not to slow down too dramatically.
• Flash light when slowing down to warn traffic behind.

Turn signals

• Combine with hand signal prior to the turn or lane-change to be more visible, but make sure both hands are on the bars when completing the maneuver.
• Allow the signals to flash for a minimum of 3 seconds.
• Remember to cancel your signal.

Horn

• Aftermarket horns can be more effective than stock.
• Don’t rely on it to keep you from danger. In these days of ultra-powerful car stereos, many drivers will never hear you, even with a powerful aftermarket air-horn. It’s much better to concentrate on avoiding the situation.
• Excessive use of the horn minimizes its effect. (The "cry wolf" syndrome.)

Crash Fact: Driver inattention was a contributing factor in 23.2% of multi-vehicle crashes involving a motorcycle in 1994. Failure of the motorist to yield the right of way was a contributing factor in 36.5% of multi-vehicle crashes involving a motorcycle. This is not going to change. In fact, with the advent of SUVs, along with increased traffic volumes, it can only get worse. It is completely up to the rider to secure the margin of safety necessary to avoid a collision. That’s not the law, but it IS the reality.

Adjust Speed:

• Exceeding the speed limit briefly to avoid a developing situation may be the only safe course of action, but weigh all LEGAL options first.
•  
• Reducing speed when following another vehicle creates space and increases time to respond.

Minimum 2-Second Following Distance

• 2-second following distance provides minimum reaction time and space at low speeds. This time should be increased with speed or deteriorated traction or visibility conditions. It allows hazards time to separate and dramatically affects stopping distance.
• Always be aware of the traffic behind when you slow.

Crash Fact: Illegal/Unsafe Speed was a contributing factor in 25.5% of single vehicle (motorcycle) crashes and 17.5% of multi-vehicle crashes involving a motorcycle in 1994. Excessive speed creates increases the rate at which hazards approach and hinders the motorcyclist’s ability to analyze multiple, simultaneous hazards. Speed is also directly related to crash and injury severity.

Accelerate

• Often helpful to get away from a bad situation, i.e. merge areas, lane changes, poor drivers, or the aforementioned 18-wheeler.
• May be helpful to downshift for greater acceleration capability.

Adjust Position

This is important for many reasons. For instance, often the center of the lane will have degraded traction due to the effects of accumulated oil and coolant residue. The wheel tracks of other vehicles offer the most traction. Whether you choose the left or right part of the lane depends on several variables, listed in the next section.

Factors that will affect your lane position choices

• - Road conditions. (refer to search information)
• - Position of other vehicles. (space cushion)
• - Your ability to see ahead.
• - Your ability to see ahead.
• - The likelihood that other users can see you.
• - The need to protect your lane.

Multiple factors require accurate judgment to determine which factor is the greatest concern.
Crash Fact: In multi-vehicle crashes involving a motorcycle, the car driver was following too closely in 4% of the crashes and committed unsafe/improper use of the lane in 5.5 % of the crashes in 1994.
 
Summary

These three choices all overlap one another, and your priority is to communicate. Communicating your presence with your attire, signals, and position are the first line of defense against hazards. Adjusting your position for better communication and space cushioning are effective, but in the case of swerving to avoid a hazard, more reactive than proactive. Adjusting your speed to communicate and to find a better position is also effective, but emergency braking or accelerating are also more reactive than proactive. Your goal, remember, is to deal with hazards before they even become hazards. But it is good to know you have multiple lines of defense.

Special Thanks to the Motorcycle Safety Center of MN. for providing the above information. For more information, please visitwww.motorcyclesafety.org.

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