Being seen is a rider's responsibility

June 8, 8:44 AMDC Motorcycle Travel ExaminerMark Poesch

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Live or die – it’s your choice.  Do you want to end up in the hospital blaming the driver who didn’t see you, or will you choose to take responsibility for making sure they see you, and make sure that you are prepared for their poor choices. 

Baltimore Motorcycle Travel Examiner Tom Bachur recently wrote a great article by the same title.  He points out steps motorcyclists can take to stay safe:

1. Utilize a lane position that affords other drivers the best chance to see you - ride where you can be seen.

2. Wear bright colors and reflective gear.

3. Pay attention to speed limits!

4. Ride with a large “buffer” zone between you and other traffic.

Read his full article for the details on each of these points and more.

As a sport-bike rider, I am acutely aware of another aspect of our (in)visibility:

Motorcycles are able to move to places that motorists never expected a vehicle to appear.

Any bike is capable of accelerating and maneuvering far beyond the expectations of normal motorists.  As drivers, we all assume that when we've checked our mirrors and have seen no traffic that the area will remain empty for some period of time.  Or, when we look ahead and see the intersection clear, we will assume that that inspection was sufficient.  For cars -- it typically is – our expectations are based on how cars move and occupy space.
 
Motorcycles, on the other hand, can jump into holes or accelerate and brake for turns at a rate that goes far beyond any normal driver's expectations.

Beware violating drivers’ expectations!

If they could overcome their guilt and be honest with themselves, I suspect that most drivers who have hit motorcyclists would not say "I didn't see him."  Instead, they would say: "I didn't see him until it was too late."  "One minute the intersection was empty, the next there was a bike in front of me."  Or, "I looked to my left and saw nothing, and then when I moved into the lane, I hit something."  "I saw something out of the corner of my eye -- but I didn't realize it was a motorcycle until it was too late."

But, instead, after a collision with a motorcycle the childlike response is far more typical -- you know the one: "Who ate these cookies!?"  ..."I don't know."  ..."Why didn't you stop for the motorcycle?"  ..."I don't know... I didn't even see him."  In other words, it's far easier to claim ignorance, deny responsibility, and avoid the full burden of guilt, than it is to honestly assess the situation.

Unfortunately, this typical response following a collision leaves us all with a lack of understanding of what went wrong.

Over the weekend, I had several near misses -- all attributable to weekend drivers who were inattentive and careless -- and -- surprised to see a sport bike pop up where they least expected to see anything.  Fortunately, I know when drivers are likely to be surprised -- I expect that they're going to do something stupid (run me over) -- and as a result, I'm ready when they meet my expectations and have already reacted before they begin moving.
 
To do this, you must be able to see the future....

And, also remember, watching out for motorcyclists is a driver's responsibility.

Check out other Motorcycle Examiners: 

• Being seen is a rider's responsibility - Baltimore Motorcycle Travel Examiner
• BMW S1000RR - in person - DC Motorcycle Examiner
• Cruiser and sport bike and the love of motorcycling - National Motorcycle Travel Examiner
• Laconia Bike Week featured event: ‘2nd annual Rally For Kids in Crisis’ - Manchester Motorcycle Examiner
• ABATE sponsors racer in outreach to sportbikers - National Motorcycle Examiner