See and Be Seen--Part III
You seem to be protected from crossing traffic by a slow-moving, tightly spaced adjacent lane. But a gap in that line of defense can expose you to serious danger.
My last post was about views blocked by terrain. A hill or curve lies between you and a vehicle about to cross your path, and you must keep your speed down to be able to respond when the threat comes into view. But more often, a sightline is blocked by a vehicle in between you and another vehicle that is about to cross your path. The
Rolling Blind Spot, described in its own 1Rider thread, is an example of that. Another occurs when a vehicle sneaks through a gap in stopped traffic in an adjacent lane.
Eastbound on the road seen in the attached photo, a motorcyclist in the right lane passes a line of eastbound traffic in the left lane waiting to turn left on the road at upper right. At the same time, a westbound car is trying to get to the gas station at the bottom of the photo. A driver in the left-turn line opens a gap, giving the car room to turn. It crosses the eastbound lanes in front of the motorcyclist, who has no time to stop and T-bones the car.
In a similar incident in Palo Alto, a motorcyclist tried to bypass stopped traffic on University Avenue by riding in the bicycle lane. Again, a driver opened a gap for an oncoming left-turner, who collided with the motorcyclist. This kind of crash can also happen while splitting lanes in city traffic. When stopped traffic leaves an intersection open (as the law requires), a lane-splitter who pops out suddenly from between the stopped lanes can be flattened by a crossing vehicle whose driver didn't see the rider until it was too late. A pedestrian or bicyclist could also surprise you, and they can emerge from a much smaller gap.
When riding alongside a slow or stopped traffic lane:
- Keep the speed difference down. When nearby traffic is moving slowly or is stopped, slow down. At 30 mph over the speed of the slow-moving traffic, you'll pass 2 cars a second. At 15 mph over, you'll pass 1 car a second. Consider the time and stopping distance you need to react to a hazard emerging from that lane.
- Create a space cushion between you and the slower traffic. Distance is reaction time. By positioning yourself on the opposite side of the lane, you gain an extra 12 feet between yourself and an emerging hazard. But lateral spacing does something else, too. The farther you are from the slow-moving lane, the better you can see into the gaps--and the better someone in the gap can see you.
- Look beyond the adjacent lane to anticipate incursions. This is especially important when you see a gap. When traffic is stacked bumper to bumper, you don't have to worry about a vehicle crossing your path, but if you see a car-width gap, be extra wary and look for crossing or turning traffic that might interfere with you.
No one ever told you riding a motorcycle would be easy (or if they did, they were probably trying to sell you one). And it's hardest when you have to deal with traffic. You're a cheetah in a herd of hippos. Sure, you're faster than they are, but speed isn't going to save you when you're surrounded. It's your eyes, your brain, and your maneuverability that will get you through the chaos safely.