tankerman
New member
Great post. Another thing to keep in mind is that when attempting to pass a line of slow cars you must anticipate another driver up ahead might do the same thing and hasn't seen you.
I guess this is a Latin-american thing; I used it in car groups back in the day. But I hope you got left and right blinkers switched wrong... Otherwise a colombo-brazilian group would be a deadly cocktail.
IAmA M0t0r Ridεr;8517122 said:Nope, this is how we'd do it. You turn your blink left, means YOU're going left, why would one pass then? You turn your right, means you may even go to a shoulder/turn around location, than means, check, go.
Apparently, you have not really noticed the closing rate of two vehicles traveling in opposite directions at say 65 mph. There actually might not be time to do anything, depending on the circumstances.IAmA M0t0r Ridεr;8516513 said:Interesting read. I don't get how two motorcycles can crash head on, on a small swerve could save both. Unless they swerve in the same direction? Really unlucky, I'd assume only in a really blind turn such a scenario could happen.
This seems like an obvious road survival idea, but apparently it is not so obvious to some.I strongly recommend against using someone else's judgment when making a pass.
Pass only when you can see WITH YOUR OWN EYES that you have enough road to complete it safely.
Why would you entrust someone else with your life that you don't know? We do it enough just riding in our lane. How do you know what they see? What if they are half blind, or drugged, or just can't judge closing rates (most people can't judge speeds very well, btw).IAmA M0t0r Ridεr;8516699 said:I disagree. It can help. Ultimately it's on you, but at least it tells you when it's a good time to take a peek.
I got it the first time. 1Rider is about the safest things to do. You are still trusting someone else's judgement to "take a peek". There is no need for that. When you can see, you can see. "Don't trust drivers to make your riding decisions", is the advice of many of us on barf. And I am reinforcing that, again.IAmA M0t0r Ridεr;8529683 said:Taking a peek is not the same as passing, not even the same as going side by side as the car you plan to pass. Means just doing enough so you can see for yourself. It minimizes exposure, actually.
Read my post again, maybe you'll get it this time?
I recently read about a crash where one lane-splitter rear-ended another when the lead rider had to take evasive action. The need for adequate following distance and keen awareness beyond the vehicle immediately ahead applies equally when splitting.
Other than the 40mph limit, I follow rules similar to yours when splitting. I want an open corridor ahead of me, and I don't trust another rider close behind me.
IAmA M0t0r Ridεr;8529683 said:Taking a peek is not the same as passing, not even the same as going side by side as the car you plan to pass. Means just doing enough so you can see for yourself. It minimizes exposure, actually.
Read my post again, maybe you'll get it this time?
I always assume that the possible oncoming vehicle might be someone on a bike at excessive speed which at times leads to no passing on my part when others might attempt the pass.
I understand where, Motor Rider is coming from. This isn't just a Brazil or Latin America thing. I've ridden with riders from Europe who do the same thing, although I didn't know what they were doing at the time.
And many of the youtube videos of group rides in Europe show this behavior; one rider makes the pass at a time, applying left turn signal at the start of the pass, then right turn signal at the end of the pass, at which point the next rider will start his pass, with the same signaling protocol.
As long as everyone is sure about what's going on ahead, it should be a safe way to manage group passes.
Trusting other road users who signal if its safe to pass isn't a new thing.
When I was a little kid back in the 1950's on vacation with my parents, we'd sometimes pass a truck in our Ford station wagon. I once asked my dad how he knew it was safe to pass (I really was thinking about that kind of thing at 7 years old!), and my father told me that the truck drivers signaled with their tail lights that the road ahead was clear.
Here's the problem, Carlo, and why I maintain emphatically...As long as everyone is sure about what's going on ahead, it should be a safe way to manage group passes.
Here's the problem, Carlo, and why I maintain emphatically...
Pass only when you can see WITH YOUR OWN EYES that you have enough road to complete it safely.You don't know what the signaling rider sees, nor do you have reason to trust his judgment, nor do you have reason to believe you share his tolerance for risk when passing.
Maybe you have a riding buddy you've shared so many road miles with that you trust him implicitly in every respect--the kind of guy you would confidently go into combat with. That's a great kind of relationship to have with a riding companion, and I wouldn't argue with your choice to let him make passing decisions for you (and you for him).
But let's say instead that you're in a random group of riders you met up with, via a web forum, at the Frostbite Falls Cafe. Before heading out, the self-appointed leader asks, "Does everyone understand the passing signal protocol?" All nod and mumble affirmatively, and off you go. Now, as you're approaching a blind right curve, the rider immediately ahead completes a pass and gives the OK signal for you to pass too. Do you trust your life to him?
That's what you're recommending when you say "it should be a safe way to manage group passes." Maybe it is for you and your buddy, but not for the random group.
I want to make absolutely certain that everyone who happens upon this thread understands the 1Rider recommendation as I stated it above.