FHWA Launches New Study

On October 5, 2009 the FHWA announced they will conduct a new study to better understand and prevent motorcycle crashes. It is the first major study in nearly 30 years and was made possible by SAFETEA-LU (Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient, Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users) mandates.

Researchers will evaluate hundreds of motorcycle accidents to to identify common factors. The purpose, similar to the 1981 Hurt Study, will be to look for countermeasures that will prevent accidents and reduce injuries. (click here for summary of Hurt Study)

Under a federal grant, the Oklahoma State University (OSU), one of the ten National University Transportation Centers, will be leading the study.

Between 1997 and 2008, annual fatalities increased a 150 percent. In 2008 alone, deaths due to motorcycle crashes rose by an estimated 2.2 percent while all other vehicle classes saw reductions in fatalities.

The new study will use that same methodology, now known as “OECD.” Independent investigators are dispatched to motorcycle accidents in real time, so they can collect on-scene, in-depth data. About 2,000 variables are coded for each crash, including a full reconstruction of the accident, plus vehicle inspections, witness interviews and medical records for the injured riders and passengers. That information is then analyzed — to identify what human, environmental and vehicle factors contributed to the accident — and compared with two riders of similar age, experience and motorcycle type who were not involved in an accident but who traveled the same stretch of road at the same time of day.

The estimated time to complete the study is fall of 2013.

Based on my experience and training as a crash specialist, we are not expecting huge changes in the core countermeasures already identified in the Hurt Report. It will be interesting to note the differences that 30 years make.

A Few Words about Towing Trailers

Similar to any other specializations, do your homework and be knowledgable about trailers and how they effect your motorcycle. Adjust your riding to compensate for differences. 

Prior to an actual trip, practice with an empty trailer to get the hang of it.

Some things to consider:

Only use trailers specifically designed for motorcycles. The aerodynamic design and low center of gravity is important for handling and stability.

Rule of thumb: The trailer-to-bike weight ratio should be about 60% (50% if you are more conservative). That means if your bike weighs 800 lbs. you can tow a loaded trailer weighing up to 480 lbs. 

Proper installation of the hitch is important. The hitch on the motorcycle trailer should be on the same plane as the rear axle on the motorcycle or slightly below. This will help prevent the trailer from pushing up on the rear end when braking. Also, the hitch should be as close to the rear tire as possible to provide a more solid support without interfering with the tire.

Remember to ride closer to the center of the road because of the width of your trailer. Be careful of the “oil strip” in the center of the road at intersections. Watch for uneven road surfaces and road edges which can unbalance the trailer.

Be extra attentive since some motorcycle positioning advantages will be compromised.

Allow for a minimum of 4 seconds follwing time to give you more reaction time and longer stopping distances.

BM Anniversary

We began the Better Motorcycling (BM) blog in October 2008. Since then we have written over 120 articles related to safety and the system of motorcycle control (Roadcraft).

The feedback has been very positive and our views are averaging 2,780 per month, so we want to continue our efforts for 2010 but we need your help to better tailor articles to meet  your needs.

So please comment and let us know what you would be interested in reading about and I promise we will fit it in.

Tire Checks

Periodically, especially if you have a bagger, it is a good idea to physically check your tires. You may, like I did, run tires with a puncture.

For whatever reason, I did not loose tire pressure but came very close to the belt drive. I know it is a pain, but rolling the bike and doing a quick visual can save much grief in the above situation. I was very lucky!

Contributing Factor

Take a look at this video. Besides the obvious, can you identify a major contributing factor?

I’ll give you a hint, it won’t be there when the police arrive to investigate and it is one every motorcyclist must learn to identify as a hazard!

I’ll let this go for a couple of days and share my comment on it.

Update 9/22/09

There are two distinct hazards the motorcyclist must learn to identify in this scenario.

1. Car stopped along the roadway
2. Car angled to enter into traffic

A car stopped along the road creates a hazard in several ways:

1. View obstruction for the motorcyclist
2. View obstruction for traffic on the opposite side
3. Vehicles approaching leaving their lane to overatake (often over compensating, swinging wide into the opposing lane)

Cars that are in a position to enter a roadway with their front not  perpendicular with the road edge, in other words angled in favor of the direction they wish to turn, create an ‘A’ pillar and sometimes a ‘B’ pillar blindspot.

This usually means within a split second of obscurement, the driver will decide to pull out; creating an unanticipated event, which we have discussed in previous posts can mean up to 1.6 seconds of reaction time.

In the video, notice the driver entering traffic saw the bicyclist approaching from the left and noticed the two vehicles approaching from the right but completely lost the motorcycle.

You can also see vehicles approaching the stopped vehicle on the road were swinging around the vehicle.

When you see this situation unfolding in your riding, you must make adjustments. The car will be at fault for failure to yield but what comfort does that offer you while you are laid up in the hospital.

What are some actions the cyclist could have taken:

• Decrease speed
• Downshift to an appropriate responsive gear
• Long horn blast
• Avoid selecting a path directly inline from a vehicles ‘A’ pillar blindspot

Be careful out there!

Utility Pole View Obstruction

We have mentioned before that utility poles (trees, mailboxes, light poles, etc.) along with vehicle “A” pillars present a serious hazard to motorcyclists because they present blind spots not readily recognized by most drivers.

In the following video, notice how the approaching motorcycle is obscured by a utility pole at the moment the driver looks and decides to pull out. The vehicle “A” pillar may further enhance this view obstruction.

While the video is aimed at drivers in a “Think Bike” advertisement, we train riders to become aware and develop skill in identifying this scenario appropriately as a hazard and make the adjustments necessary to avoid the collision. In most instances this will mean a reduction in speed to give yourself time to react and be able to stop within the clear distance ahead.

While I understand this video was orchestrated for demonstration purposes, what we did not see from the motorcyclist is:

• Any indication that he saw the emerging car, either
• No braking
• No change in velocity
• No change in lane position
• No headlight (I know its an older video, just making you think)

What else could the motorcyclist have done under these same circumstances?

In other words, don’t wait for the driver to “think bike” take matters into your own hands.

Funky ABS Incidents

I am riding a 2009 HD Police Electra Glide:

I have experienced ABS activation (more like a release) while braking over bumps while applying normal brake pressure, however, the ABS caused a release of hydraulic brake pressure for several bike lengths in distance without the usual pulsating you feel when you brake hard.

This has occurred frequently while riding over bumps, which in my neck of the woods are plentiful, despite normal hand pressure being applied. I have adjusted my riding for the bumps by not applying any brake pressure while actually traversing bumps.

On one particular incident, the above occurred while attempting to slow down behind a car that stopped in front,  without bumps, it released and scared the petunias out of me. I had to steer left, evasively, to avoid rear-ending the car. By the time the brakes caught (I was applying pressure all along and no the lever did not go down all the way to the grip) I was several bike lengths in front of the car I just steered around. 

I have not been able to duplicate that incident but continually experience the ABS release on bumps. When I brake hard the ABS functions normally.

My ABS light does not indicate a problem and there are no error codes noted. However, when the dealer tried to bleed the brakes electronically, they were not able to. This prompted a call to the big boys.

Harley Davidson is sending a new ABS controller without getting into much detail. Still waiting for the part… but they advised it was safe to ride???

Has anyone else experienced a similar issue?

Riding at Night

Riding at night is quite a different ball game.

Reduced Visibility

You see less which yields less information. Your normally wide field of vision is narrowed to the field illuminated by your headlight. Additionally, depth perception, color recognition and peripheral vision are compromised after sundown.

Perception and reaction times increase (up to 3 seconds for the unimpaired).

Properly aligned and clean headlights are important for you to maximize the illuminated distance ahead, distance is your friend.

Make sure your headlight are clean; half of the total output can be absorbed by dirt, salt, etc.

Lights

On unlit roads your headlight should be on high beam unless you have to drop it for other road users. Low beams should be used:

• in built-up areas
• heavy rain, snow, fog when the falling droplets reflect glare
• to avoid blinding oncoming drivers
• overtaking another vehicle (return to high beam when you are parallel with it)

Always ride so as to be able to stop within the area you can see to be clear; at night this is the area lit by your headlight (unless there is full street lighting).

Even under the best conditions your ability to assess the speed and position of oncoming vehicles is reduced at night, so you need to allow an extra safety margin.

You should be traveling at a speed that would allow you to stop safely within the distance covered by your headlights.

Be careful not to overdrive your headlights. Since the distance illuminated by headlights will vary, it is important you find out what that distance is for you.

Most high-beam headlights (maintained properly) shine no more than 450 feet ahead. Low beam is about 150 feet.

If you are traveling at 40 mph (about 60 fps) on low beam you have about 2.5 seconds of vision ahead.

If an emergency exists beyond your range of vision your only going to have the 2.5 seconds to react. At 60 mph, you have about 1.7 seconds to react. Since perception can take of to 3 seconds for unimpaired drivers, you start to see (pun) you simply do not have enough time to react and you are flirting with disaster.

Also, be careful about pedestrians who have no trouble seeing you and therefore believe that since they can see you, you can see them. They don’t have a clue about illuminated distance of headlights.

Headlight Design

Headlights are designed to illuminate only the front of the vehicle. They cannot illuminate around a corner which introduces an additional hazard on curves.

Down hill on sags your illuminated distance will be drastically shortened as you approach the sag and your lights are shining into the ground. You will not be able to see sufficiently for the uphill swing until you are actually going uphill. Additionally, if you are applying your front brakes going downhill the front forks will compress downward, further limiting the illuminated distance.

Dazzle

Headlights shining directly into your eyes may temporarily blind you for up to 2 seconds; at 40 mph you traversed 117 feet without seeing.

To avoid blinding, look toward the nearside edge of the road (fog line).

Following other vehicles at night

When you follow another vehicle, low beam headlight should be on and allow a sufficient gap so that your light does not blind the driver in front.

When you overtake, move out early with your headlight on low beam. When you are alongside the other vehicle return to high beam.

If you are overtaken, return to low beam when the vehicle draws alongside you and keep it low until it can be raised without blinding the driver.

Information from other vehicle’s lights

You can get useful information from the front and rear lights of other vehicles. For example, the sweep of the headlight of vehicles approaching a bend can indicate the sharpness of the bend, and the brake lights of vehicles in front can give you an early warning to reduce speed.

Night fatigue

Night riding is tiring because it puts extra strain on you eyes. If you are having difficulty keeping your eyes open, you are a danger to yourself and others; find somewhere safe to stop and rest until you are alert enough to continue safely. Allow for more stops on a long trip.

Signs of fatigue are:

• difficulty focusing
• frequent blinking
• heavy eyelids
• trouble remembering last few files driven
• missing exits or traffic signs
• repeated yawning
• rubbing your eyes
• trouble keeping your head up
• drifting from your lane
• tailgating
• riding over rumbles
• restless or irritable

Illuminated Distance Poll

If you don’t know the illuminated distance ahead then how do you decide what is a safe speed while traveling at night?

More on night riding to come…

Control Not Chance

How do you define and expert rider? Is an expert rider someone who can do amazing things on a motorcycle and possesses a high level of skill?

Here is my definition of an expert rider:

A person who consistently adopts his/her riding to match the existing conditions, highly skilled at identifying hazards, with the ability to control speed and position for adequate time/distance to react to any circumstance.

Safe riding is really all about being in control. Control of yourself (consistent with your abilities), your machine (each one is different) and the conditions around you (always changing).

What is the secret to riding safe? Answer: Leaving nothing to chance.

A rider needs to continuously assess conditions and manipulate what IS in his/her span of control to maximize favorable outcomes.

Much riding falls into the gambling category.  Gambling while riding is any condition where you abdicate control by allowing other road users opportunities to encroach your path or by riding faster than you can stop within the assured clear distance ahead.

Often, even otherwise safe riders, will surrender to the compulsion to make progress while riding by taking “acceptable” risks.

So, how do you keep control of your motorcycle in every riding situation? Answer: Have a plan.

Since the majority of crashes involve human error, we need a strategy for helping us approach and negotiate hazards.

Gambling belongs in casinos not on the road.

You need a simple and consistent method of riding which ensures an essential aspect of safe riding – time to react. Conversely, anything that robs you of time to react places you at risk.

A hazard is anything that can be dangerous. It may be obvious, such as a car coming at you on the wrong side of the road, or may be subtle, such as a curve concealing a truck backing into the road.

One of the main causes of crashes is the failure to recognize hazardous situations – if you fail to see the potential danger you cannot take actions to avoid it.

How good are you at identifying situations that are potentially dangerous?

This blog is dedicated to providing you with that system of control.

Make up your mind today that you will always ride in control of yourself, your machine and your environment.

Road Surfaces

To put it plainly, road surface affects tire grip. Tire adhesion to the road is fundamental to control because it will determine:

• steering
• banking
• acceleration
• braking

Looking far enough ahead is necessary to identify changes in road surface and adjust:

• approach speed
• strength of braking
• acceleration
• banking and steering to retain road holding.

Irregularities

Look for irregularities in the road surface. Try to alter your position to avoid them. If not, carry out rear observation and slow down. Where possible, ride over them in an upright position.

Common surface irregularities are:

• road paint – slippery when wet (watch putting you foot down on wet paint to hold up the bike)
• road joints – repaired roads may leave poor joints, even slight differences in height can affect stability, deflecting the bike from its intended course. Tar-banding provides less grip than the surrounding surfaces, especially when wet
• metal covers – manhole covers, drain covers, temporary metal sheeting (poor grip especially when dusty or wet)
• physical defects – potholes, projecting manhole covers, sunken gullies

Riding Through Water

Riding at speed through water can sharply deflect you from your intended course and cause loss of control.

As you approach a flooded area you should slow down. Avoid riding through water wherever possible, as water may conceal a deep hole or other hazard.

When you have to ride through it, slow down to a walking pace and ride through the shallowest part, which is usually the crown of the road.

If the road is entirely submerged, stop in a safe place and cautiously find out how deep the water is. The depth of the water that you can safely ride through depends on how high your bike stands off the ground and where the electrical components are positioned. If you decide to continue, follow these steps:

• engage first gear and keep the engine running fast by slipping the clutch. This prevents water entering the exhaust pipe. Use your rear brake to control speed
• ride through the water at a low and constant speed to avoid making a bow wave, keep upright
• when you leave the water, ride slowly and apply the brakes lightly until they grip. Repeat this after a short while until you are confident that both brakes are working normally (this also applies if you have pushed your bike through the water).

Close Call With Ape Hangers

While on patrol today I saw a bike on the shoulder that looked like this:

The rider (Kevin) and his wife (Kim) were traveling on a two lane limited access highway when the handle bars started moving back and forth. Kevin, quickly realizing a problem, pulled off the road onto the shoulder and then suddenly the handle bars snapped.

Two half inch bolts were no match for this weighty, one and half inch thick ape hanger.

Below, Kevin kindly holds up the ape hanger to show what they should look like, thanks Kevin.

Kevin holding up the ape hangers

Kevin said he wanted to test ride his friend’s bike to see if he liked the ape hangers for hiw own bike.

I suggested his friend follow up with the outfit that sold him these bad boys and that he get his friend to buy him and his wife dinner.

If it weren’t for Kevin’s quick reaction this situation could have been alot worse. Good job Kevin.

Thanks to Kevin and Kim for allowing me to share this with you.

Video – 2 Bike Crash at Intersection

This video pretty much speaks for itself.

It never hurts to look at cross traffic even if you have the green light.

Quick accelerations or dart-outs when a light turns green puts you at a disadvantage because your robbing yourself of time (remember time = distance too); quick accelerations doing a wheelie, well that is another subject.

Key to accident avoidance is TIME TO REACT; seek to make all of your maneuvers gradually and smoothly; buying time wherever possible.

Honda Gold Wing Official Airbag Demo

I have mixed feelings about this but applaud all efforts to minimize injury.

Video – Causes of Crashes

Crash Investigator talks about 4 top causes of crashes in his venue.  Basic stuff but worth a look.

Kamikaze Riders in Kiev

Hello from Ukraine,

We have embarked on a mission to adopt three children with Down syndrome from Vorzel, Ukraine.

On our way to the orphanage, our driver, not knowing what I did for a living, pointed to a speeding motorcyclist and said…”kamikaze”. In the best English he could muster, he explained many riders start their journey but never can be sure they will reach their destination.

After only a few days of observing traffic conditions here in Kiev, I can understand why. It seems anything goes. If you are stuck in bumper to bumper you can make your own lane, literally. Drivers here give filtering a new definition. I have seen cars drive the wrong way on the opposing lanes shoulder, right down the middle of the road, and run their lanes shoulder.

Our driver, attempting to overtake a long line of stopped traffic, turned into the opposing lane and rode that for a while right into a right-hand bend where there was a scooter approaching. The rider was surprised but adjusted. Good thing he was on the nearside (road edge) which gave him a little time to react.

I am not feeling that Highway Safety is top on the priority list here in the Ukraine.

I have seen of few big bikes but most are smaller, the majority are scooters. Most riders seem to favor the nearside position.

On my next post I’ll try to get some pics. I haven’t gotten fast enough with my pocket camera yet.

Grading Risk

The following series of scenarios practically demonstrates the riders grading of risk according to the existing conditions, please note every scenario requires some action to be taken by the rider except for scenario 5. Taking no action in scenarios 1 through 4 will limit your reaction time.

 

Scenario 1: A car pulls out at an intersection, turning left and encroaches your path.

ACTION: Here the risk is a positive danger requiring drastic action to avoid a collision. BRAKE HARD or swerve but don’t do both at the same time.

Scenario 2: A car is stopped at the intersection angled to turn left. The driver has not looked in your direction. The brake light go off and the car begins to move.

ACTION: The situation contains some serious risk. Alter your position if you have not already done so and lose speed sharply. Use a long horn sound.

Scenario 3: A car is on its final approach to the intersection, slowing as if to stop, but you don’t have eye contact with the driver.

ACTION: The driver of the car is not aware of your presence. The risk is real. The driver may pull out. Alter your course to maximize the distance between you and the other car and alter your speed. Consider a short horn sound.

Scenario 4: A car comes into view approaching the intersection from the left.

ACTION: The presence of the car represent a slight risk. Consider altering your position and speed.

Scenario 5: The intersection ahead is free of traffic.

ACTION: Every intersection poses a risk. This intersection is clear and vision is good. No action is required other than to keep make visual scans until you pass the intersection. If the intersection present a poor visibility or a view obstruction, consider altering your position and speed.

Safe Stopping Time

Proposition:  It is easier to calculate your ability to stop within the assured clear distance ahead by relating your stopping time (seconds) to your travel speed.

When considering safe stopping distances, think seconds not feet.

Time and distance are interrelated. In the collision field, we always relate distance to feet and time to seconds. A basic rule to safe driving is: Always drive at a speed that allows you to stop on your side of the road within the distance you can see to be clear.

Anytime we discuss distance, time is always associated. Even if you have memorized stopping distance for equivalent speeds, how good are you at judging distance? How good are you at judging distance while moving at 20, 30 or 60 mph?

A more practical method is to relate your stopping ability in time (seconds). 

If you are traveling at 50 mph hour, you need at least 3 seconds of braking time to stop within the clear distance ahead (see table below for additional times at different speeds).

There are many reference points along the roadway for a rider to calculate time in seconds, especially when following another vehicle.

• Road lines (markings)
• Road patches
• Cracks
• Tar strips
• Shadows
• Pot holes
• Man hole covers
• Pavement changes

Even on cloudy days, vehicles project shadows that traverse roadway points to calculate time.

We recommend fix points on the road surface to count by and NOT landmarks like signs, poles, etc. Landmarks require too much guess work because of the angles involved.

Stopping Time

We  propose it is much easier for the rider to relate stopping in time (seconds) as opposed to distance.

The following speed ranges show the braking time to stop on normal, dry, level roads:

• 20 mph and 30 mph = 1.2 secs to 1.8 secs
• 35 mph to 45 mph = 2.1 secs to 2.7 secs
• 50 mph to 60 mph = 3.0 secs to 3.6 secs

Following Time (“Only a fool breaks the 2-second rule”???)

Is 2 seconds enough time?

The 2-second rule is meant as a safety buffer for time to respond. If an event is unanticipated, 1.6 seconds will be consumed in your reaction alone, how much more time will you need to complete an avoidance maneuver? Is the two seconds an adequate safety buffer?  

Two seconds may be enough at speeds less than 30 mph. However, remember perception/reaction time is not factored into any of the stopping times for the equivalent braking distances. 

The following table shows varying stopping times (equivalent to braking distance) from 10 mph to 60 mph:

Stoping Times 

MPH	Seconds
10.000	0.608
15.000	0.911
20.000	1.215
25.000	1.519
30.000	1.823
35.000	2.127
40.000	2.430
45.000	2.734
50.000	3.038
55.000	3.342
60.000	3.646

 

For reference purposes, the equivalent braking distances are:

MPH	Braking Distance
10.000	4.444
15.000	10.000
20.000	17.778
25.000	27.778
30.000	40.000
35.000	54.444
40.000	71.111
45.000	90.000
50.000	111.111
55.000	134.444
60.000	160.000

 

We have seen literature that stipulates “the two-second rule” is always a safe following distance! Here is a quote from Wikipedia:

“The two-second rule is a rule of thumb by which a driver may maintain a safe following distance at any speed. The rule is that a driver should ideally stay at least two seconds behind any vehicle that is directly in front of the driver’s vehicle. It is intended for automobiles, although its general principle applies to other types of vehicles.”

For obvious reasons the “safe following distance at any speed“ cannot be true. While reaction time may remain constant, at speeds greater than 30 mph you need more distance = time.

Side-note: A key element in advanced riding strategies is to improve your ability in anticipating hazards to allow you more time to react. This will certainly involve giving yourself additional time to match your speed or less speed to match the available time.

The PennDot Motorcycle Operator Manual (Pub 147) on page 12, states, “In traffic, motorcycles need as much distance to stop as cars. Normally, a minimum of four seconds distance should be maintained behind the vehicle ahead. A four-second following distance leaves a minimum amount of space to stop or swerve if the driver aead stops suddenly. It also permits a better view of potholes and other hazards in the road. A larger cushion of space is needed if your motorcycle will take longer than normal to stop. If the pavement is slippery, if you cannot see through the vehicle ahead, or if traffic is heavy and someone may squeeze in front of you, open up a three second for more following distance.”

The Observational Advantage

The more time you allow for following the better your view of the road ahead and any other traffic conditions (withing the limits of road configuration) you may need to respond to. 

Larger vehicles will limit your view ahead (18 wheelers, box trucks, buses, etc.) and will require more following time, even at the lower speeds.

Roadcraft: “No Johnny Come Lately”

In 1930 there were 2.2 million registered cars on the road  in Britain and they recorded 7,305 fatalities. It was in this era the first Road Traffic Act was drafted.

Police drivers at that time were no different than the general public, with no special training. The results were 1 crash for every 8,000 miles driven for the Metropolitan Police district.

Lord Cottenham’s teaching at the Metropolitan Driving School at Hendon in 1937 laid out the system, that by implementing a drill or sequence of events, a driver would ensure his/her vehicle was always in the correct place, at the correct speed and in the correct gear.

The Metropolitan Police crash rate went to 1 crash for every 27,000 miles (possibly 38,000 according to another source). Lord Cottenham’s system remains the basis for Roadcraft today.

The first version of Roadcraft was offered to the general public and was published in 1955.

The method and majority of Roadcraft raining is conducted on public roads. Here in the U.S. we might call that ‘reality based’ training.

What is advanced driving?

Maximizing safety for oneself and everyone else on any type of public road. This is the primary goal of true advanced driving.

It can be defined as the ability to control the position and speed of a vehicle safely, systematically and smoothly, at all times. It works with existing road and traffic conditions to allow reasonable progress to be made unobtrusively, with skill and responsibility.   

Roadcraft has been around for 74 years, established by a leader in safe road driving. It is not new, however, for the U.S., if adopted as a standardized method of training, it would be revolutionary.

Maybe the police in the U.S. need to take the lead as the U.K. did in the 1930’s. During the last 10 years, more cops have been killed by cars than by guns. The rate that officers are dying on the roads is alarming. Civilian casualties resulting from police actions are equally distressing. 

Standardization in training is the key and Roadcraft is the way, with a proven track record. It is after all, “no Johnny come lately.”

Why Roadcraft?

Parking Lot vs. Street
 
Formal motorcycle police training was excellent but consisted mostly of cone courses that were designed to ensure mastery of slow speed maneuvers, executed at near flawless levels.
 
For me, the most valuable parts of the training were the high speed cone weave (counter-steering  drills) and the braking evading drills because I could apply those techniques to my street riding to help me avoid collisions. There is no question these are valuable life saving skills.
 
The downside, it was all parking lot. I noticed a false sense of security about my riding. I can turn a police HD Road King around between 16 and 18 feet circle, but that did not help me deal with circumstances which would challenge my survivability on the streets with people who are going to violate my right-of-way or otherwise compromise my safety.

Police motorcycle training provided rudimentary handling skills, but it did not teach how to adopt to constantly changing road and traffic conditions.
 
There is a gap between execution of the physical skills to riding (steering, banking and braking) and strategy to make the best use of position and speed.
 
My Proposition
 
Crashes can be reduced in both frequency and severity by equipping riders with a strategy to identify and negotiate potential hazards, with techniques that leave nothing to chance and ensures an essential aspect of safe riding – time to react. 
 
While we do not intend to minimize or discount parking lot training, which is valuable in honing necessary skills, we fear there is quite a difference between cone drills and surviving the ‘mean streets’.
 
A feature of almost all crashes is human error. While it is necessary to learn how to steer, brake and control the motorcycle, it is even more important to learn how to approach and negotiate hazards.
 
Roadcraft System of Motorcycle Control
 
Roadcraft helps fill the gap between the parking lot and the streets. While the best training would be individualized instruction under a riding instructor, this type of training is not readily available. This should not hinder us from learning the system and applying it every time we ride. 
 
Recognizing relevant hazards and prioritizing them will keep you from becoming another statistic.
 
It is important to note this is not just for newbie riders. Folks who have been riding for years are probably more at risk because of complacency. The longer you ride without incident the more you lull yourself into thinking it won’t happen to you.
 
The Roadcrafter
 
What is a roadcrafter?
 
Specifically, a rider that employs the IPSGA (Information, position, speed, gear, acceleration) system of motorcycle control every ride. 
 
The roadcrafter has several qualities:

• they account for real ability as opposed to perceived ability
• they understand the capabilities of their machines
• they compensate for weather and road conditions
• they are skilled in detecting hazards and makes the necessary adjustments

Decide today to ride with control not chance.