Everyone should have been taught that to pass their test so only the crap riders will be slowing down without letting those behind know with a gentle touch of a brake lever.
Driving a car- how can I be safer around bikers?
- Thread starter almoststew1990
- Start date
Everyone should have been taught that to pass their test so only the crap riders will be slowing down without letting those behind know with a gentle touch of a brake lever.
A lot easier said than done mind. All the looking and trying to see in the world might not show you a hazard if you don't have a mental process for identifying it.
When I first started driving i.e. making a right hand turn into another road it was pretty much glance in the mirror, looks clear (i.e. nothing immediate pops out as a threat), go - only with more experience was I actually looking for someone who might look like they'd try and overtake me as I was about to manoeuvre or a bike/other coming down alongside traffic I'd be pulling across the path of, etc. i.e. actually filtering what I was looking at.
Soldato
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The average car driver takes less than 1/3rd of a second to check for oncoming vehicles. I've seen people look right at me in mirrors or directly, yet still pull over/away into my path while still looking me in the eye...
Students get told to actually see, rather than just a cursory glance - I know, because as well as hearing such reports from recent trainees, I'm taking car lessons right now myself and my instructor is watching as well as sometimes actually asking me about things I should have clocked, such as what colour car is behind/left, what potential hazards I see ahead, etc.
And no, it's not always easy, but there are often clues.
No shoulder check into the blind spot?
*cringe*
But this is more advice for (I assume) a relatively experienced driver.
Basically, if you drive this, you should give up your licence:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1aSvoIpVss
As is, his own company probably sacked him!
I've never seen that one before. Just how?! Surely on the phone!
Please please please please don't let us out when it's your right of way. In fact, don't let anyone out when it's your right of way, particularly at a junction. People think it's nice and polite, it's just dangerous and feels wrong. I will look and pull out when I think it's safe!
Also don't creep at a junction, that scares us.
No need to wildly move over for us either. Nice if you do, to help filtering and overtaking, but don't panic and swerve over.
Also don't creep at a junction, that scares us.
No need to wildly move over for us either. Nice if you do, to help filtering and overtaking, but don't panic and swerve over.
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Soldato
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Follow the rules of the road - bikers will work around you if you are courteous and safe.
Unfortunately, like every group, not all bikers are fantastic but they do have better judgement on the whole.
I've always believed that drivers should take a CBT first as then they can feel what a biker feels sometimes (vulnerable) and it improves awareness as you are looking for an incident before it happens.
You get taught to treat everything as a potential accident and ride defensive because the biker WILL come off worse.
Unfortunately, like every group, not all bikers are fantastic but they do have better judgement on the whole.
I've always believed that drivers should take a CBT first as then they can feel what a biker feels sometimes (vulnerable) and it improves awareness as you are looking for an incident before it happens.
You get taught to treat everything as a potential accident and ride defensive because the biker WILL come off worse.
I'm more a car driver than a bike, the top one annoys the hell out of me. Cars heavily braking so they can give up their right of way because they think they're being polite, meanwhile I've had to come to a stop unexpectedly and if I was on my phone like a lot of drivers I'd be plowing into the back of him.
Creepers scare me in my car. Taxi drivers are the worst for it because they'll pull up on the side of the road and then start to drive off before you've even got near them
Indicators around roundabouts. I now regularly see people going to the 3rd or 4th exist and they don't put their indicator on. I mean WTF? These guys get some many people pull out on them and I'm fairly certain they get annoyed even though it's all their fault. A new one I've noticed is people going straight over but they are indicating right. It's almost like people were never taught how so they've just had to make up their own rules.
No shoulder check into the blind spot?
*cringe*
Wasn't going through the whole procedure just commenting in general on the looking/seeing thing - my driving instructor was always going on about it and asking questions after like what colour the car behind was, etc. but until you really understand what your looking for its all a bit meaningless however much you look.
Though the number of times I've seen people start/continue turning right into the path of an emergency vehicle coming down the wrong side fully lit up with siren going is ridiculous.
As a biker, I often find checking over my shoulder (called a life saver or something?) is entirely natural and not something people do often. This is enough to check for bikes to be honest.
Other than that, drive normally. Bikers often expect every car on the road to be driven by an absolute idiot. Wether or not that's the case, it helps up prepare for the worst.
Other than that, drive normally. Bikers often expect every car on the road to be driven by an absolute idiot. Wether or not that's the case, it helps up prepare for the worst.
Soldato
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A lot of people are talking about indicators. As an 'on-a-break-biker' currently, I never trusted what someone was indicating they'd do. Just because they are signalling left/right, doesn't mean they're going to do it, so it's moot point for me.
Generally speaking when driving a car, leave the 2 second gap when you can. In traffic, don't be up the car in front's chuff, you should be able to see a bit of tarmac between your bonnet and the rear wheels of the car in front (that leaves enough of a gap for a biker to pull in to if they are filtering). Double, no triple check for bikes at junction. Don't take risks with gaps when pulling out in traffic. Use all your mirrors regularly and blind spot check if you can, especially when changing lanes. When someone is turning left in front of you, don't creep out into the middle of the road to get past them a millisecond earlier.
Just react normally, don't do anything unexpected (like swerve last minute to avoid a pothole).
Generally speaking when driving a car, leave the 2 second gap when you can. In traffic, don't be up the car in front's chuff, you should be able to see a bit of tarmac between your bonnet and the rear wheels of the car in front (that leaves enough of a gap for a biker to pull in to if they are filtering). Double, no triple check for bikes at junction. Don't take risks with gaps when pulling out in traffic. Use all your mirrors regularly and blind spot check if you can, especially when changing lanes. When someone is turning left in front of you, don't creep out into the middle of the road to get past them a millisecond earlier.
Just react normally, don't do anything unexpected (like swerve last minute to avoid a pothole).
Soldato
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Going too fast, focussed on the turn and not having the time to:
- Wait for a gap in his oncoming, to swing out there and turn in tighter
- Take a proper look around his pillars/blind spots and actually SEE if it's clear
- Stop
Had that been a kid, he'd now be charged with death by dangerous driving.
Taking car lessons myself, bikers would benefit from the reverse - I can't see a bloody thing in a car and have to apply for braking a week in advance!
One thing I loved about my DAS is that we were taken around as many different vehicles as possible, to learn exactly where their different blind spots are and when we were in/outside them.
As explained, this is aimed more towards those who have a bit of experience to draw upon.
But then, this is what Hazard Perception is supposed to be about, as well - Identifying what things are *potential* hazards, rather than just reacting to what suddenly is an actual problem. Most newer drivers should have seen enough different hazards on all the bloody Theory training videos to have a basic idea.
Soldato
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on normal roads while i appreciate car drivers pulling over to the inside to let me past, i don't need it and in fact i'd prefer them/you to not put your car too close to the kerb.
To leaving a gap for us to pull into, nah not really, you can put a bike in an absolutely tiny gap if needs be, in traffic for example.
I think the easiest way to be helpful to bikers is to not pull out infront of us
To leaving a gap for us to pull into, nah not really, you can put a bike in an absolutely tiny gap if needs be, in traffic for example.
I think the easiest way to be helpful to bikers is to not pull out infront of us
Jesus that is pretty scary. Truck driver doesn't give a damn about anything as he takes the turn. Sadly there is a lot of truck drivers like that out there
Jesus that is pretty scary. Truck driver doesn't give a damn about anything as he takes the turn. Sadly there is a lot of truck drivers like that out there
Most are pretty good round here. Never take them seeing me for granted mind
Same rules as when there's a car..
Never force another road user to change direction or speed.
On the motorway..
don't : indicate, then wait for a gap and pull out
do : check your mirrors/surround, see that it's clear, then indicate and pull out.
Never force another road user to change direction or speed.
On the motorway..
don't : indicate, then wait for a gap and pull out
do : check your mirrors/surround, see that it's clear, then indicate and pull out.
Soldato
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I just drive normally usually. I'll pull over to let bikers past if I'm stuck behind someone for the long haul. If you hey don't want to pass, I just reassume road position and treat them as a normal vehicle.
Understood.
Its a gap I don't think is very well bridge looking<>filtering what your seeing - I didn't really get it naturally and though my instructor kept banging on about it the real significance was never really conveyed until with a bit of experience I suddenly "got it".
Associate
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I dunno about that. I always check my mirrors and blind spot but I won't wait til it's clear cause at times it seems like it never will be and I'd rather have people know what I want to do rather than potentially indicate a second before jumping into the next available space, hate when people do that.
I find that a space will open up as soon as someone spots my indicators. I do it for others and someone will do it for me.
