DataDan
Mama says he's bona fide
These two findings from the Hurt report help explain each other:
In many crashes, the rider has little time to take evasive action because the view between rider and driver is blocked. Neither can see the other until it is too late and the collision becomes inevitable.
Hurt describes how view obstruction contributed to one crash he investigated:
It is important for motorcyclists to understand these situations because driving experience doesn't prepare us for them. Unlike a car, a motorcycle's speed, size, and agility can make it go unseen. By understanding how the motorcycle can disappear in a sea of larger vehicles, we can take action to keep the view clear, or to protect ourselves in spite of a poor view.
The many ways view can be obstructed
Hurt's example of the motorcycle in the shadow of a screening vehicle is just one way the view between rider and driver can be blocked. There are more, and they account for a surprising number of crashes. A few examples:
Recognizing problem situations
At first, these crashes may seem impossible to avoid. You're just riding along, and out of nowhere a car pulls out in front of you. But by recognizing certain cues, you can spot the situation before it becomes critical.
Reacting to the danger
Hurt suggests an overall strategy to prevent crashes where the view is screened:
To see and be seen in other situations, different tactics are needed:
In many crashes where view is obstructed, as Hurt said, "the culpability is clearly that of the automobile driver." But to survive as a motorcyclist you must accept full responsibility for your own survival, because it is you, not the Ford F-350 driver, whose life is on the line. By increasing your awareness of hidden hazards, you will be able to identify these situations as they develop and take action to protect yourself.
- The typical motorcycle accident allows the motorcyclist just less than two seconds to complete all collision avoidance action.
- The view of the motorcycle or the other vehicle involved in the accident is limited by glare or obstructed by other vehicles in almost half of the multiple vehicle accidents.
Hurt describes how view obstruction contributed to one crash he investigated:
A motorcycle is proceeding in the curb lane and a van is travelling ahead in the parallel fast lane. Approaching an intersection, another automobile in oncoming traffic waits until the van clears and turns left as it passes. The left-turning automobile then moves into the right-of-way of the motorcycle. In such case, the culpability is clearly that of the automobile driver but both the motorcyclist and automobile driver had view obstruction (the van) before the crash.
The motorcycle was behind and one lane to the right of the van--in a "visual shadow" where the driver of the oncoming car couldn't see it and the rider couldn't see the car. The car turned as soon as the van had passed and hit the motorcycle.It is important for motorcyclists to understand these situations because driving experience doesn't prepare us for them. Unlike a car, a motorcycle's speed, size, and agility can make it go unseen. By understanding how the motorcycle can disappear in a sea of larger vehicles, we can take action to keep the view clear, or to protect ourselves in spite of a poor view.
The many ways view can be obstructed
Hurt's example of the motorcycle in the shadow of a screening vehicle is just one way the view between rider and driver can be blocked. There are more, and they account for a surprising number of crashes. A few examples:
- Westbound in the #2 lane of an undivided four-lane road, a motorcyclist was in a hurry to get past a vehicle in the #1 because the two lanes merge 200 yards ahead. But before the merge, a left-turn pocket allows eastbound vehicles to reach a farm on the right. As the rider passed the other westbound vehicle at high speed, an oncoming pickup turned left and the two collided. At night on the unlit road, the pickup driver saw only two headlights--those of the vehicle in the #1--and he turned a safe distance in front of it. But then the third headlight suddenly appeared in the #2 lane, and he couldn't avoid the crash.
- In a busy suburban area, vehicles in the two left lanes had stopped at an uncontrolled intersection to keep it clear, and an oncoming pickup driver took advantage of the opening and turned left. But in the free-flowing #3 lane, a motorcycle entered the intersection at normal speed and was hit by the pickup. Stopped traffic in the two left lanes had blocked the view between rider and driver.
- In the #1 lane (of two), a motorcyclist passed an SUV in the #2 as it turned into a shopping center on the right. At the same time, a car exiting the shopping center turned left in front of the motorcycle and hit it. The SUV had screened the view between rider and driver.
- Entering a freeway, a motorcyclist merged into the #4 lane behind a box truck, then merged into the #3. But traffic in the #3 was moving much slower, and he rear-ended another vehicle. The truck in the #4 had blocked his view to stalled traffic in the #3.
- In the #2 lane (of two) behind a car that slowed for no apparent reason, a motorcyclist merged left and passed. But the driver was stopping for pedestrians crossing in mid-block, whom the rider hadn't seen. He crashed under braking, and the motorcycle slid into the pedestrians. The car had blocked the rider's view to the pedestrians.
Recognizing problem situations
At first, these crashes may seem impossible to avoid. You're just riding along, and out of nowhere a car pulls out in front of you. But by recognizing certain cues, you can spot the situation before it becomes critical.
- Point of sudden exposure. Paralleling a line of stopped vehicles, or at a higher speed than adjacent traffic, you are protected from cross-traffic incursions as long as the line is tightly packed. But when you overtake the lead vehicle, you may suddenly be exposed to cross traffic. And it doesn't have to be a long line; even one car can block the sightline at a critical time. This can also occur when splitting lanes in city traffic if drivers are keeping an intersection open for cross traffic.
- Stationary gap. In a snarl of city traffic, there will be gaps between stopped vehicles. Most gaps are random, but sometimes a driver will leave extra space to accommodate a pedestrian or cyclist. As you cross a gap, whether occupying your own lane or splitting, you can be exposed to a person crossing unexpectedly.
- Lost blocker. When you are paralleling another vehicle at the same speed, it blocks incursions--whether you are purposely taking advantage of it or not. A driver on the opposite side may not see you, but you're protected from the threat thanks to the vehicle running interference. However, if your blocker unexpectedly slows to pull off the road or turn at a cross street, you will be exposed to threats from that side.
Reacting to the danger
Hurt suggests an overall strategy to prevent crashes where the view is screened:
These findings [on view obstructions] provide important components for a traffic strategy for a motorcycle rider. The motorcycle rider must locate himself (or herself) in traffic to insure a clear path of view to all prospective hazards. If such a location is not possible, every intersection offers the possible challenge of the motorcycle right-of-way.
And in the example of the motorcycle in the visual shadow of the van he recommends:The strategy appropriate for the motorcycle rider is to ride abreast, or ahead, or much farther behind the van so that he (or she) could see and be seen. The strategic position is important to insure a clear view of prospective challenges of right-of-way and high conspicuity should increase the likelihood of being seen.
To see and be seen in other situations, different tactics are needed:
- When you spot a point of sudden exposure, go to yellow alert: slow down and approach cautiously. This is a critical reaction to avoid a crash with an unseen vehicle. Your view to potential threats is screened, and you're nearing a point where you have no parallel lane of blocking vehicles.
- Use a blocker. When you've identified a threat such as an oncoming vehicle waiting to turn left, use a blocker if one is nearby--stay alongside a vehicle between you and the threat and match its speed. But if you suddenly lose a blocker--especially one you can't see over around, or through--expect an incursion.
- Keep relative speed down. In some situations, you may prefer to ride slightly faster than the prevailing flow of traffic. By going slightly faster you avoid lingering in blind spots and reduce threats from behind. But excessive speed relative to traffic increases the risk due to unseen cross-traffic hazards by reducing the time and space you have to identify and react to an incursion.
- Don't tailgate. Proper following distance not only prevents rear-end crashes, it also opens the sightline to traffic further ahead, which can prevent cross-traffic incursions. A little extra distance can improve your view to potential threats and their view to you--especially behind a large vehicle. Follow the two-second rule, and at lower speeds increase that if you can.
- Adjust lane position to improve your view to cross traffic. The farther you are from an adjacent lane, the better the angle of view through it to cross traffic on that side. Of course, a better view to one side means a worse view to the other, so consider threats on both sides when necessary.
In many crashes where view is obstructed, as Hurt said, "the culpability is clearly that of the automobile driver." But to survive as a motorcyclist you must accept full responsibility for your own survival, because it is you, not the Ford F-350 driver, whose life is on the line. By increasing your awareness of hidden hazards, you will be able to identify these situations as they develop and take action to protect yourself.