Reading through Scorts accident thread really makes you think how vunerable you are.
It would be good if more experienced bikers could post some tips or advice on riding and how you can try and avoid incidents like that.
It brought back memories for me too – not all good
But that was an accident that I really couldn’t have foreseen if I’m honest!
Up to that point I had been riding almost a year, and had started learning more about my surroundings over the last few months; I think a mate of mine hit the nail on the head - he said that as I was no longer focusing of how to ride the bike, I was now able to see more of what was going on around me. So that 10-20% of my brain’s processing power had been returned to me to be used on other things – the thing my brain chose to use it on was akin to a 6th sense…
It’s hard to put in words, but I started to notice other road users in much greater detail. I’m not talking about what colour dress she was wearing, or whether he had shaved that morning, but more like, what kinds of driver are they. It seems quite silly and basic when you think about it, but I started to notice how some drivers faltered; little key things like shedding a tiny amount of speed near junctions etc and excessive head movement at said times – to me that’s a driver lost in an unfamiliar area and one to get past asap (a safe pass though) as there’s good chance they’re not paying enough attention to driving.
I also get weary, even now, with anyone who fails to indicate – to me, if they’re willing to omit such a basic and easy action, what else are they prepared to do or not do?
I don’t think you’ll ever get written advice that will help that much in developing these skills, they are very much an ‘on the job’ training kind of thing, and to try to put them into words and then for someone else to take that on-board, would be information overload.
Jeaz, nasty. Remember reading that the first time round, gad your well on the mend. Did anything happen to the other driver in the end?
Yes, although I do kind of regret not pressing for something a little stronger now – he was given a week’s ‘driver awareness’ training, at a personal cost to him of £150, and although the Police do say these courses make a difference, I still think penalty points would have kept him thinking longer too.
When I initially spoke to the Police about their possible action, I kind of sided with the driver; reasoning that he wasn’t local and that the roundabout is poorly marked out as well – but after almost two years, I now think ‘sod him’ – we are all taught the same rules for the road, why should he break them and get away lightly!
