Sitting idle waiting for the traffic light to change green may be contributing to your risk of being struck from behind.
The legendary Hurt Report (1981) covered motorcycle accident cause factors and identified if any countermeasures could have been used by the motorcyclist to avoid the accidents. The report listed by category the type of accidents the motorcycles were involved in, along with the percentage of each separate category.
Rear-end accidents only accounted for about 3% of all accidents where motorcyclists were struck from behind in 1981. A recent study conducted of Florida crashes showed motorcyclists are now being struck from the rear 29% of the time. The Hurt Report also showed that 80% of the time, motorcyclists did not do anything to avoid those accidents.
What has changed?
Motorcycle and car technology has gotten better, hasn’t it? Mechanical technology has gotten better, but people have gotten worse.
What has gotten worse is cell phone use, including texting. The new-normal drivers simply aren’t paying enough attention. They aren’t recognizing traffic slowing ahead until it’s too late. Bad news for you on your motorcycle when you are the next vehicle in front of the distracted driver.
Protecting Yourself from Distracted Drivers
In addition to increasing your visibility with high-visibility clothing and products like brake light flashers, here are some recommendations on how to deal with distracted drivers.
1. Slow Gradually
When you anticipate a changing traffic light or see a stop sign ahead, take your time getting to the stop.
Slow gradually instead of carrying speed right up to the intersection. You’ll have a better chance of getting that distracted driver to slow down with you rather than relying on them to suddenly react to you.
That way, you will spend less time actually stopped and vulnerable to being hit.
2. Position Your Motorcycle for an Escape
When you are actually stopping, position your motorcycle either offset left (preferably) or offset right of the car in front of you.
Stay far enough back so you could use either side of the car in front of you as an escape path should the car behind you fail to stop.
3. Maintain a Tactical Ready Position
Once you come to a standstill, maintain a “tactical ready position” by:
Keeping your bike in first gear.
Keeping your hands on the controls.
Watching your mirrors and the traffic behind you.
Keep an eye on the car behind you to make sure it isn’t creeping forward because the driver is looking down at a phone.
When the light turns green, check your mirror to make sure the car behind doesn't begin to move forward before the traffic in front of you has begun to move.
Technology That Can Help
Motorcycle technology is getting better by the day.
Radar systems are now being offered on some new motorcycles. These systems can alert you if a vehicle is approaching from the rear or sides.
Aftermarket radar systems are also available to purchase and install on older motorcycles. Several companies offer such devices. You can find them by searching for motorcycle blind spot radar detectors on the internet.
I did get rear-ended once while sitting at a red light waiting for the light to change, not having such a system. I now have an aftermarket system mounted on my bike.
Stay Alert, Ride Safe
We are not going to be able to get car drivers off their cell phones. The only thing we can do is be aware that this potential danger is real to us, the motorcyclists, and take proper countermeasures to deal with this danger.
Ride safe, and keep one eye behind you.
Dominick
