Musing on Safety 2 - Overtaking from the Forward Viewpoint

 

Visiting several motorcycle fora and reading a number of magazines have taught me that most riders seem to want to know how to overtake but very few ask for advice in being overtaken.  This could be because it never happens to them, they know exactly what to do, or they’re too scared to admit it.

Small bikes are dangerous

I have heard this said, often by people with little experience of them, the inference being that large bikes are not dangerous, but I don’t consider a small machine to be very much worse, just that some of the hazards are different, generally those involving other traffic rather than road conditions.  I believe it is time to stop frightening new riders and start helping you to ride your precious little machines in the safest manner possible.   I would like to show you how, by knowing what you’re doing, you can reduce the risks to that of any rider on any bike.  

 

To begin, I wish to point out that, contrary to what some people claim, bikes below 100bhp are not small.  Even DAS learner bikes are not small.  For the purpose of this diatribe I’m not even including the kind of 125cc machines which, although small in capacity, have quick acceleration and can reach speeds in excess of 100mph.  I am confining this to the millions of bikes for which the national speed limit is more like a target to be aspired to, or, to put it another way, the bikes which are allegedly dangerous to ride. 

So what are the perceived hazards?  What action can the rider take to maximise his safety?

Some bikes are physically small so are more difficult to see than larger bikes.

 

This is true, but to see, first they’ve got to look, and many SMIDSY’s are really caused by lack of observation.  However, knowing this is little consolation when you’re about to smack into the side of a car. There is no need to become paranoid about this, though, because people have even failed to notice big red double-decker buses.

So what can you do to get them to see?  Pretty much the same as any other rider.  You could start by getting them to look in your direction by giving a couple of short toots of your horn.  Don’t give a long blast as this sounds aggressive and can actually cause the other driver to panic, thinking he’s in immediate danger. If he does this when he’s already started to pull out he could slam on the brakes straight in front of you.  Therefore if you feel in danger, warn him early to give him time to take action. 

You’ve now got him looking, so the next step is to get him to see you.  Don’t ride in the gutter but position yourself about two thirds out into your lane.  Not only does this allow people to see you early when they’re coming out of side roads on the left, but you see them, too, and can prepare yourself for their next move. The additional benefits of  riding well out in your lane is that the surface is more likely to be uneven at the edge, especially on roads without kerbs to restrain the tarmac, and you won’t be bouncing in the road gullies, risking a wobble under a passing car, another good reason for keeping out of the gutter. If you keep too far over to the left, a following vehicle is likely to try to squeeze past without giving you a safe clear space, known by some as your safety bubble, in the knowledge that he is unlikely to meet an oncoming vehicle on your side of the road. You can also avoid the rubbish which collects at the side of the road, and have you noticed how many doting mothers shove the front end of their prams out over the kerb edge when they want to cross the road?  

 

Unfortunately, although you have now positioned yourself in his view and he is looking your way, because you are travelling directly towards him, it can happen that his brain still doesn’t register your presence.   The advice I’ve read for this is to move sideways within your lane as you are then moving across his line of sight, which is more noticeable.  Never be tempted to flash your headlight at him.  Although this is only supposed to indicate your presence, some will take it as a signal for them to pull out, the opposite of what you want.

Other road users will pull out in front of a small bike even when they have seen it.

This is also true, probably because the driver doesn’t consider you to be a threat, whereas that fast car behind you could do him serious damage. Your observation and anticipation must be excellent to keep yourself safe, because since the other driver knows the consequences of a collision can be fatal or worse for you, he assumes you will stop for him. I would suggest in those circumstances that you do not disappoint him.  “I had right of way” is a poor epitaph.

 

A small bike can’t dominate its lane.

No?  Have you ever seen a little bike, a bicycle or even a man pushing a hand cart with a long queue of traffic behind him?  That is lane domination.  One definition of ‘to dominate’ is ‘to have commanding influence over’.  In other words your actions influence those of other road users. 

Vehicles will overtake small bikes 

Of course they will. As a slow vehicle, where overtaking is concerned you will find yourself more sinned against than sinning.  You may feel that you are being targeted for overtakes just because you are riding a small bike and, where some road users are concerned, you are not wrong.  It does appear that they feel a need to get in front of you, irrespective of what speed you may be doing, and  learners, whether on bikes or in cars, also suffer from this.  I have had several occasions when I’ve been overtaken, only to end up following the other vehicle for miles because he wasn’t going any faster than I was, and initially caught up because I’d had to temporarily slow down at the time.  Most road users will overtake a vehicle travelling slower than themselves, whatever it is.  Your safety advantage is that you expect to be passed, whereas someone who normally rides quickly can get caught out in a manoeuvre because he isn’t used to having someone travelling faster than him coming up behind.

How do you maintain your safety when being overtaken?

Overtaking is one of the most dangerous moves on the road. Being overtaken has its perils, too.  Where two vehicles are moving in close proximity it creates a risk for both parties in addition to the normal road hazards.  The overtaking vehicle has control of whether or not he carries out the manoeuvre and in doing so puts himself in a position  of danger facing oncoming traffic. The one being overtaken remains in a safer position but doesn’t have control of the move, although he is able to influence the events to keep his safety to the maximum possible in the circumstances.

So there you are, riding along the road at your limited speed, keeping a suitable distance away from the road edge. Think of the lane between the verge and white line, with space at front and rear as your personal road and try to discourage anyone else from encroaching on it.  Because of the likelihood of being caught by faster vehicles you need to be extra vigilant with your observations, mainly to the rear, but also in front.  Apart from the obvious problems you will encounter even if you are alone, when there is a possibility of being overtaken an otherwise safe situation could become a danger.  For example, a car coming the opposite way on his side of the road is unlikely to be a danger to you unless the driver makes a serious error.  The same scenario while being overtaken would then become potentially dangerous, so you need to be aware of situations developing ahead as well as behind.

A glance in your mirrors shows  a vehicle is approaching from behind.  At this point you may feel you should pull over to the side of the road to let him pass.  Don’t do it.  All this will do is encourage him to pass you without giving you sufficient space to be safe and you are then riding on the worst surface on the road.  Instead, keep your nerve and continue to dominate your lane until he gets closer and you are sure he knows you are there.  Before he has time to start moaning at his passenger about being held up, take a look behind.  If he’s taking notice this tells him that you are aware of his presence and probably don’t want to hold him up, possibly postponing the moment when he starts to get frustrated at having to wait.

 

If the road and traffic conditions are suitable, the vehicle behind is likely to pull onto the other side of the road and pass you quickly and safely for you both.  Unfortunately, busy, twisty roads reduce such overtaking opportunities drastically, which may result in impatience and passes at inappropriate locations.  At this point you are probably feeling intimidated, especially if the following vehicle is particularly large or driving very close. Continue to hold your ground. You can do it. Remember, you have the guts to ride the type of motorcycle from which lesser mortals shy away.  A Big Mack doesn’t scare you.  But there’s nothing wrong with having a healthy respect for the damage they can do to you, so you are in accord – you both want him to get in front.

After a short while it will become apparent that the time and space for an overtake on the other side of the road is not going to happen before you reach the end of your journey.  You now know that a dodgy move is in the offing unless you act.  As you are going to be put in danger,  you need to dictate how and where it happens, to keep your safety to the maximum possible.   The safest way is to get yourself away from the other vehicle, done by either turning into a side road, or pulling into a lay-by, allowing him to pass, and you can then follow on behind.  Don’t panic and slam on the brakes before doing this, but follow the normal routine for turning off, slowing, signalling, etc.

There won’t always be anywhere to do this so you must choose the lesser of two evils.  Do you continue as you are, risking a dangerous overtake when you have no influence on the location, or do you make the choice of the place for him to pass?  I would normally aim for the latter as it gives me a little control of my destiny.

 

First off, if you think he’s going to make the attempt at a totally inappropriate place you can try to discourage him by moving further out in your lane so that he definitely doesn’t have the space to pass.  Be vigilant though, because he may be stupid enough to try, and you need to be ready to move out of his way quickly.  There is even a faint possibility that he’ll go for the inside gap, but this is rare, although it happened to me when I was passing a skittish horse.  I moved away from it and the car behind went between me and the frightened animal.

 

Make sure the overtake doesn’t happen at a bend or blind crest.  If the driver behind is going to pass you where there is oncoming traffic it is better on a straight section where all parties can see what is happening and react  to it.  Pick the moment when there is either a bit of a gap in the traffic, or the road is wider and then move over towards the side of the road. Don’t drift across but make your move decisive and obvious so the driver behind can guess you are intending something to happen. Do not go onto a bad surface though, as it is preferable for someone else to be inconvenienced than for you to risk a spill.  Some roads have a two or three feet strip next to the verge in which cyclists ride, defined by an unbroken white line  and, although you really shouldn’t, it is a useful area to pull onto as you are removing yourself from the main lane of traffic, but don’t be tempted to use it  for normal riding.  If you have chosen your passing place wisely, the following driver will grasp the opportunity of the extra clear width and quickly pass you.  To further encourage him you could give the slowing down signal, which may confuse anyone under the age of 40, and a flash of the brake light, but don’t wave him past.  The ultimate responsibility of making the overtake must be his.

Be prepared for wind buffeting when the other vehicle comes alongside you, especially large wagons, as they push a stream of air to either side of their front end.  As they pass, they sometimes create a vacuum effect which can pull you under their rear wheels.  Hold on firmly but not stiffly, thus being able to maintain your position on the road but allowing yourself to ‘give’ with the both the blast and suction effects.  When he’s past, check you mirrors and pull back out into your normal lane position if it is safe to do so.

Some riders feel that they are safest if they keep away from dual carriageways, where traffic is permitted to go faster than on single carriageways.  Without doubt, the greater the difference in velocity of two vehicles, the more serious will be the result of a collision between them but, although I’m a believer in taking yourself away from risk, I would advise against totally avoiding  such roads.  One reason is that they are often built relatively direct between towns, so to avoid them can mean lengthy detours. Another is that although the traffic may be travelling faster, and  you still get the buffeting effect, they have a whole lane in which to pass you, little fear of a vehicle coming the opposite way, so less risk of them suddenly pulling into your space.  Additionally, many lorries have speed restrictors, so often travel as fast on a normal road as the do on a dual-carriageway.  Thirdly, I believe it is better to experience the situation and learn to deal with it.  Then you can choose whether or not to use dual carriageways, safe in the knowledge that should you unexpectedly come onto such a road you know how to react to an overtake without panic.

Remember, unlike motorways, any vehicle is allowed on a normal dual carriageway so the other road users may not like it but they do expect to find tractors, horses and you there.

Small bikes cannot overtake

This, I am pleased to say, is not true.  While it cannot be denied that opportunities as less frequent so are the situations where you might feel the need.  To pass them, first you’ve got to catch them.

There will be times when even the smallest bike  has an overtaking opportunity, even if it is only that man still pushing his hand cart.  This should be approached with exactly the same principles as for large bikes, such as not passing where you can’t see the road ahead is clear,  but you must also take into account the bike’s deficiencies.  Because you will have limited acceleration it takes longer to get up to a speed for overtaking, so, even though you can catch another vehicle and are able to go faster than it, your lack of oomph might not give you the time or distance to get past safely.  In this case, pull back a little.  This indicates that you are not anxious to get ahead so the driver in front can concentrate on what he’s doing without worrying too much about you behind him.  Make sure you ride where he can see you in his mirrors, constantly reminding him of your presence, helping to reduce the risk of him making a sudden violent manoeuvre, such as slamming on the brakes because he’s missed his turning.  A driver who is aware of following traffic tends to be more careful since he doesn’t want a bike in his boot anymore than you want to be there.

This shouldn’t matter because you, of course, will always be following at such a distance that you will have time to stop or swerve safely, and be fully concentrating on what is happening ahead, won’t you?  Well, no you won’t.  There are times when everyone loses concentration, or creeps too close, but although you  should never rely on them for your safety, that responsibility remaining with you, getting some help from other road users is not a bad idea.

 

The second result of pulling back is that you create a space for faster vehicles to use when they are overtaking you.  This benefits them because there may not be enough time to take two vehicles at once, but it also helps you by removing the hazard of a frustrated driver from behind you, plus they are less likely to try to squeeze into your space if someone comes the other way.  Have no doubts, they will choose to hit you rather than a larger vehicle because they perceive their own potential damage to be less, but by being considerate to them you are minimising your own risk.

One extra point is to be aware that other road users might not expect you to overtake, so you must be definite in your actions and give clear signals, otherwise a vehicle behind might start to pass you just as you make your move.

Conversely, if you come up behind another vehicle, particularly while riding in the lane dominant position, the driver may expect you will want to pass him.  Some low powered machines are physically large and can give the impression of being fast and powerful, resulting in the  possibility of the driver in front being intimidated by you following close behind.  Consequently, he may alter his actions because of you, either to try to allow you to pass, or to deliberately stop you.  Even when they know you are slow they could still be thinking about “that idiot behind” rather than on their own driving.

Your own overtaking procedure regarding observation, positioning and the like should be the same as for any other bike so I won’t elaborate here.  However, because of your lack of acceleration, any overtake must be very carefully planned as you cannot rely on a burst of power to get you out of trouble if a vehicle comes the other way.  If you have any doubts, don’t do it.  If the vehicle is travelling much slower than you, another opportunity to pass will arise.  If its speed is only slightly less than yours, the actual time you would save will be very little compared with your whole journey.

It is better to arrive late than not at all.