Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Seems to me the overwhelming cause of motorcycle accidents are as a result of cars making left hand turns across the path of an approacing bike at intersections. What do you people do to protect yourselves when approaching an intersection?

I know what I do - just wondering what others do.

If I'm in the left lane, I'll hang back quite a bit so I can see if there is a car waiting to make a left turn in front of me. I make sure to leave plenty of room between me and the car in front of me, in case the driver waiting to turn doesn't wait for me to go or doesn't see me.

If I'm in any of the other lanes, I will drive alongside another car. If there are no other cars near me going the same direction, I will hang around in the right lanes to give myself a little more time to react.

1) Steer back and forth a bit as I approach to make my headlight move in the other driver's field of vision, 2) stay in the right slot of the lane, which gives me just a split second more reaction time, and also gives them a more oblique angle of view of my oncoming shape - means I move a bit within their field of vision, 3) watch their front tire like a hawk, 4) cover the front brake lever

If my spidey sense starts to tingle about a left-turning wall, I spam my headlight between high and low, like a poor man's modulator.

green meenie wrote:Seems to me the overwhelming cause of motorcycle accidents are as a result of cars making left hand turns across the path of an approacing bike at intersections. What do you people do to protect yourselves when approaching an intersection?

I know what I do - just wondering what others do.

It isn't an overwhelming cause of motorcycle accidents. For the past decade it has been nearly 50/50 single vehicle accidents and multi-vehicle accidents with regard to motorcycles.

Only a percentage of the 50 percent of multi-vehicle accidents involve a left turning car, but it is a significant percentage. The government documentation uses the term 'striking vehicle' and notes that significant percentage of motorcycle multi-vehicle accidents the motorcycle is the striking vehicle. So, Quick stops are the theme of the day on local roads as most likely the problem will be something happening in front of you.

I spend most of my riding time on highways. On local roads I often actually ride at the speed limit and check all cars around me when approaching an intersection.

I'm sure I do a number of things on local roads to avoid accidents, but all I can say is that in this ultra-dense NJ area I've never even had a close call on local roads.

I can't say the same thing when I drive my car. So, I definitely drive more carefully in one vehicle over another.

RhadamYgg

RhadamYgg wrote:
I can't say the same thing when I drive my car. So, I definitely drive more carefully in one vehicle over another.

Sigh, same.

I think riding a motorcycle has made me more aware of everything, no matter what I'm driving, but I still have a heavy foot.

I've found myself the same way. Whenever I get in cars, which is rare, I find myself making a lot of small, stupid mistakes. I'm just many orders more focused when riding a motorcycle. Maybe it's habit, or maybe it's that whole zen thing. *shrug*

jstark47 wrote:1) Steer back and forth a bit as I approach to make my headlight move in the other driver's field of vision, 2) stay in the right slot of the lane, which gives me just a split second more reaction time, and also gives them a more oblique angle of view of my oncoming shape - means I move a bit within their field of vision, 3) watch their front tire like a hawk, 4) cover the front brake lever

Here is some good advice.

jstark47 wrote:1) Steer back and forth a bit as I approach to make my headlight move in the other driver's field of vision

I try to do a little swerve if there's room. I assume the movement gets people's attention. Now that I've got a bike with the headlights attached to the forks, it's easier to just move the fork left and right when you're stopped at a light.

If I'm in the left lane I will move to the far right of that lane. Gives you a little bit more room to work with if they start to turn. If I'm in the right lane I "try" to ride through it with a vehicle next to me. That way if the idiot makes that turn he will hit them and not me. Depending on traffic I feel it's better to be as far over to the right as possible in most intersections.

I also slow down maybe 5-10 MPH and cover the front brake. I don't know that flashing or weaving has any effect. Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't. I would rather concentrate on my bike position and on hard braking, if needed.