Waiting and slowing down at intersections
By 2WheeltipsI hate using tragedy as an example but here is another example of a motorcycle fatality at an intersection. It appears from the article that the rider swerved to avoid a turning car, lost control and crashed.
When approaching intersections, you should ALWAYS slow down and look for cars on side streets and also look for situations where other vehicles are blocking your view.
http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20100804/NEWS/8040338/1003/NLETTER06
Intersections
By 2Wheeltips
Here are some pics I
got from one of my friends on facebook and is a perfect example
of what can happen to you if you are not careful at
intersections. This is a classic case of a car turning in front
of a motorcyclists and the rider not being able to stop. I don't
know if anyone survived, but I seriously doubt
it.
1 out of every
4 motorcycle accidents happen just like the one in
these pictures. Always pay attention and reduce your speed when
there are cars or blind spots at any intersection you
cross.
Intersections and Accidents
By CarolHere is the link to the article:
http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20100522/NEWS/100522009/Piscataway-crash-kills-South-Plainfield-motorcyclist-28
Here is another accident that did not have to happen. Although I wasn't there, I know that road and the hill over the interstate, and if you go over it too fast, accidents like this can happen.
Motorcycle season is underway and you need to be careful and put into practice the intersection skills that you find here on 2wheeltips. Approach and ride through all intersections cautiously and the life you save may be your own.
Road Hazards
By Tony BPerfect, dry roads exist only in a perfect world, and this is not a perfect world. Being prepared for the unexpected will make you a safer rider and will enable you to ride on many roads during most seasons of the year. Always use the “S.E.E.” (search, evaluate, execute) riding strategy as taught in the Motorcycle Safety Foundation courses. Here are some road conditions that you should be prepared to encounter:
Leaves on the
Road
Although Autumn is a beautiful time of year for riding, leaves
on the road can be potentially deadly for the inexperienced
rider.
A few leaves, when dry, are often nothing more than a light obstacle in the road, often blown around or away by the slightest breeze. However, when there are large piles of leaves in your path, you must be cautious; if you cannot view the road surface below the leaves, you do not know what you will encounter when riding over them. You should try to avoid riding over any hidden area of road surface, assuming that there is another portion of the road that can accommodate your bike. Maneuver to avoid a pile of leaves as you would to avoid any other road obstruction. Wet leaves are very slick. Slow down and proceed cautiously. Also avoid sharp leaning and quick braking. A road covered with wet leaves gives your tires very little to grip and you can easily get into an accident.
"Tar
Snakes"
Many road cracks are temporarily repaired by filling them
with tar. These long, narrow tracks are called "tar snakes"
and can be catastrophic for the unprepared
motorcyclist. In cold weather, they freeze faster than
the rest of the road surface and they stay frozen even when
the rest of the road has thawed. In hot weather, they
melt. When wet, they are more slippery than the surrounding
road surface. To make matters worse, some tar snakes are
thick and high.
You will encounter them everywhere you ride, so be prepared. You need to slow down before riding over them, especially if you are leaning a bike through a curve. If you have to brake on a road surface that is covered with tar snakes, be prepared to brake slowly, steadily, and use a longer distance to execute a total stop. Once stopped, be prepared to put your feet down on a potentially slippery road surface.
Pot Holes and
Puddles
Pot holes exist on many roads and, even if repaired, can
produce an uneven and dangerous road surface. You
should avoid riding over a pot hole as you would other road
hazard. You don't know how deep it is or what is in
it.
Puddles can be a deep pothole that has filled with water or
other liquids. Since you do not know the depth of a
puddle, you should avoid them as you would other road
hazards.
Quick Stops at Intersections
By 2Wheeltips
As your riding skills
improve you will notice that a motorcycle can stop very very
quickly. Making quick stops is a skill every rider should have
but it does pose a unique problem at
intersections.
Since a motorcycle can
stop quicker than a car or truck, making a quick stop for yellow
lights when traffic is close behind you can cause a serious
accident. Since a car or truck can not stop as fast, you run the
risk of getting rammed from behind.
In instances where traffic is close behind, it may be best to accelerate through the light as it turns red to avoid an accident.
