2Wheeltips

In Part 1 of the Motorcycle Accidents guide (must be read with a dose of sarcasm for full effect :-p ) we’ve examined things we can do to make sure we get into an accident. In this article, I will share a few pointers regarding the best way to “act” during an accident as related to me by a few motorcycle experts. So, without further ado, let’s crash.

Disclaimer:
While this article contains – in the opinion of the author – valid and useful information, it’s meant for entertainment purposes only.
In other words, be responsible for your own actions and don’t try this at home. Moreover; if you do try it at home, don’t blame anyone but yourself if you break your ass.

On with the show.

We will divide motorcycle accidents into three different types. You can suggest additional types in the comments section if you can think of any.

Type 1: Didn’t cause it; couldn’t prevent it.
The kind of accident where there was nothing you could do to prevent it and there was nothing you did to cause it. You are sitting at an intersection and a drunk driver rams you from behind. A total freak occurrence that no amount of skill or foresight could prevent.

We will not talk about this type of accident because, at some point, you have to accept that certain situations are out of your control.
For example; every time I board a plane, I make peace with the fact that my life is no longer in my hands.
Every time I ride, I make peace with the fact that there are variables I will encounter that will be out of my control.
Accept it, move on, and try to make the best of it.


Type 2: Can’t avoid it but have time to react.
This technique is used by professional racers on a closed course.
It may be of limited usefulness on the street.

First, I need to be clear on the following point. This scenario presumes that you had time to consider options and the best option possible is to crash the bike into the obstacle.  With that out of the way…

This happens when we are speeding and we see an obstacle in front of us and we know that there is not enough time to brake.
Maybe it’s because we are going way too fast to stop in short-order; maybe it’s because the road is slippery; maybe it’s because of all these factors that we are unable to swerve out of the way and we are headed for that overturned car or a similar obstruction.

Laying heavy on the rear brake is usually considered a no-no, but just like we did when we were kids on our bicycles and laid heavy on the rear-brake, leaned to the right (maybe you preferred to lean to the left?), and made the tires burn in order to look cool, we can do this on a motorcycle as well. The difference here is that once the bike is leaned you want to let go of it. The bike slides ahead as you spread the impact over the entire back of your body (legs, back, arms, and ass) and try not to roll. Rolling might result in broken bones; you want to try and slide on your butt instead. I hope I don’t need to point out the importance of wearing protective gear, do I?

Type 3: No time to avoid it, no time to slide.
This technique is used by Hollywood stuntmen in a controlled environment.
It may be of limited usefulness on the street.

Brace yourself. You didn’t see it coming and you are crashing into it right now. What will you do?

Objects in motion tend to stay in motion. Depending on the obstruction, your bike may or may not come to a dead stop; if not, it will probably come pretty close to a dead stop. In either case, this will leave you - the object in motion – headed for a flight over the handle bars.
Once again, you want to spread the impact over the entire back of your body (landing face-first is usually a no-no) but in order to do that, a few things have to happen.

Your “dismount” should be clean. Don’t hold on to the handle bars with a death-grip. Hollywood stunt-men crash their motorcycles head-on all the time and allow themselves to fly over the handle bars smoothly. While flying, they relax and allow the momentum to flip them over - back-side down - as they make a soft landing on cardboard boxes or something similar. We are not lucky enough to have such a soft-landing but the same principles apply.

Stay relaxed, land on your back (spread the impact over your legs, ass, back and arms) and hope for the best. You want to control the flight and not lose your equilibrium. This is going to hurt.

Most importantly...
To think that all variables can be quantified and accounted for is plain wrong. There is an X factor in every accident. I just hope this article - at the very least - inspires you to put some slide-bars on your bike and maybe go to a parking lot and practice that rear-brake maneuver we were so good at when we were kids. It just might come in handy.

Lastly, perhaps the most important asset in every situation is to stay calm and maintain a clear head.

How do you know if you will have a clear head during an accident? Easy.

What gets your blood boiling?
What throws you off your center?
Who can make you mad?
Who can make you lose control?

Maybe it’s your parents?
Your girlfriend/wife – boyfriend/husband?
Your boss?
Your friends?

Something they say, or do, or ask...you know what it is...do share, you're amongst friends...

Well, if any of this applies to you, then yes, you will panic during an accident.
If you are routinely thrown off your emotional center in your everyday life then you will be thrown off your emotional center during an accident. And keep in mind, “emotion” is not a soft word. I’m not talking lovey-dovey stuff here…remember that anger, contempt, hate…are all emotions.

Basically if you find yourself throwing tantrums (or mantrums :-p ) you will be prone to panic as well. How do you make sure to stay calm? Ask and you shall receive.


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