Better Riding Techniques – Move your Head

[Zwartie]

Ever have someone pull out in front of you, seemingly out of nowhere or been cut off by a driver while you're in the middle of a lane change or as you're just getting to a side street? How many close calls have you had this past riding season?

As some of you already know, one of the courses that we offer is the M2Exit course – this is for riders who want to upgrade from an M2 licence (which expires after 5 years) to a full M licence. Other than no expiry, the only difference between the two is that the M2 licence has a zero blood –alcohol tolerance whereas the full M allows for anything under the standard 0.05 limit (in Ontario). That's right; with a full M licence you can have a drink and ride. Call it good or bad, it is what it is. The M2Exit course and evaluation involves the student rider riding their own motorcycle on the street while we (the instructors) follow along in a truck and give directions using a walkie-talkie. Fortunately (for us) the communication is only one-way – they can hear us but we can't hear them. We spend a few hours practicing with up to 4 riders and 2 instructors and then each rider does the 40-minute evaluation ride individually. The practice and evaluation consists of residential, business and expressway riding. The evaluation form contains almost 400 checkboxes where each checkbox is an error. The rider is allowed a maximum of 25 errors to pass the evaluation. An average rider accumulates between 12 and 15 errors. Errors include things like lane position, signals, brake lights, speed (too fast or too slow), and head movement, including mirror and blind spot checks. Easily half (or more) of those 12 to 15 errors are related to head movement or more correctly, lack thereof.

Check those mirrors: According to the M2Exit marking guide, riders are to check their mirrors at least once every 10 seconds when riding in residential and business sections. With cross-streets, driveways and business entrances it's easy to understand that the situation behind you which is just as important as what's going on in front of you is ever-changing. For the purpose of the evaluation we need the rider to actually move their head so that we can see that they are looking in their mirrors. Shifting their eyes from side to side is not enough as we haven't developed (or can't afford) the technology to monitor eye movement...yet. Besides that, moving the head side to side helps to increase the overall field of view so it's a good practice in everyday riding. In addition to the usual 10-second interval, mirrors also need to be checked whenever the rider is slowing down on approach to an intersection and once they've gotten up to traffic speed after clearing the intersection (including left and right turns). On the expressway, mirror checks need to occur at least every 5 seconds. Let's face it, you're covering lots of ground in a really short time and there may be drivers behind you covering the same ground in even less time.

Look for hazards: Mirror checks on their own are not enough – the rider must also look at (and for) hazards. This includes (but is not limited to) railway crossings, crosswalks, bus stops, business entrances, side streets and pretty much any parking lot (schools, churches, etc...). Depending on the hazard it may mean a look to the right only or a look in both directions. When riding in the right lane in a business section most immediate hazards are on the right side of the rider. There are 12 pre-determined hazards which are fixed (not moving) in the M2Exit evaluation but in the real world hazards include a host of things that may drive, run, walk, gallop, pedal, or stumble into your path. Being riders ourselves we (the instructors) understand that should the rider miss a predetermined fixed hazard because a moving hazard has their attention, the moving hazard is the real hazard in that moment. It's all about keeping your head moving to be aware of these hazards and being ready to perform the appropriate avoidance maneuver should it be required. It also helps to look at the hazard before you get to it. Looking down that side street once it is immediately to beside you will only give you a look at what is about to make contact with you.

Don't be blind: The single most frequently repeated error made by student riders is not checking their blind spots. It is also one of the most important habits that they learn during the course. I would also say by my general observation on the street that most "experienced" riders don't check their blind spots nearly enough either. A blind spot check is different than a mirror check – instead of just looking side to side, the rider is looking over their shoulder to see as far behind them as possible, to see what may be coming up that side from behind them. It needs to be done every time the rider changes lanes or makes a right or left turn at an intersection. It's a deliberate look over the shoulder in the direction the motorcycle will be moving and is that last line of defence before performing the maneuver. It is also another visual cue to other drivers that you're about to make that lane change or turn at that intersection. As with the hazard check, the blind spot check needs to be done before you're committed to making that lane change or turn at the intersection.
Be an intentional bobble head: For the purpose of the M2Exit course we tell our student riders that their head needs to be on a swivel, like a bobble head. Again, we cannot see exactly where they are looking so we can only judge based on head movement. And for the course, it likely means that they should overdo it a bit. That being said, it really does help to keep your head and eyes moving and just as importantly it needs to be intentional. When looking down that side street your mind should be thinking about what you are looking for and when you're about to make that lane change you need to look back at what may be screaming up that lane you're about to move into.

Experience does not equal practice: When I became an M2Exit instructor I had already taught the basic rider training course for 7 or 8 years and had about 25 years of relative "event free" riding experience under my belt. Despite that, I'm pretty confident I would have failed the M2Exit evaluation without any prior training. (Back in 1983 when I got my M licence there was no graduated licencing system. It was just a matter of riding around the block to show the tester that I could handle a motorcycle.) As with our student riders most of those marks would have been due to a lack of head movement. Again, I see it on the street every day – motorcyclists riding along through busy traffic just looking straight ahead with the odd glance in their mirrors at best.  How much do you move your head (and eyes) while riding? Are you aware of your surroundings or do you cruise down the street like you have blinders on, riding in your own little world? From time to time one of our students will tell us tales of all the close calls they've had since they started riding and I usually reply by asking if there is anything they could have done to have avoided those close calls in the first place. As with most things, it starts with your head.

[Flynt]

...it starts with your head.

Really excellent post...  thank you. 

I ride my FJ 70+% of the time with Diane onboard.  Routinely something she doesn't expect happens (car changes into our lane, car pulls out in front of us, car cuts us off, etc) and I hear her gasp as I execute one of the scenarios that's already playing through my head based on situational awareness and having a strategy for everything I can imagine happening.  Your head is the key to staying alive in cage-land...  feed it all the data you can.

Frank

[TexasDave]

+1. Situational awareness 360 degrees.  Dave

[movenon]

Good post.. Avoid target fixation by scanning.  Fighter pilots are taught to keep there head on a swivel.

[Pat Conlon]

Yep, a very good post, I think the last 9 words of the above post can not be empathized enough.

......As with most things, it starts with your head.

You must start with, and maintain a clear head. Here are my top 4:

A) Beware if you are tired or "road stoned" especially true for us older riders. My long days of riding were tolerated much better when I was in my 20's thru 40's. Now that I'm in my 60's, I find myself getting a bit fuzzy after 12 hours or so....and it's not just physical. I keep myself in shape. I don't drink. I can still run a low six minute mile and 2 miles in under 14 minutes....it's a mental fatigue. Coffee helps, but only to a point.
B) Stay hydrated. Hydrate before the ride. Hydrate during the ride. Eat properly.
C) Distractions will kill you. Looking down to study your GPS at the wrong moment will kill you. Looking down at your cell phone will kill you. Looking down to change the music on your MP3 player will kill you.
D) Be careful with medications, especially the ones that say "May cause drowsiness..."

You want a true recipe for disaster?  Combine the above A with B with C with D and see what happens.

[ribbert]

Excellent post Zwartie, lots of good info in there. Keep 'em coming.

Noel

[charleygofast]

Alot of good points there for us scooter pilots thank you! Two close ones for me last week and this tues. A driver in front of me at a intersection was over the crosswalk and a woman was walking accross this guy backs up and into me! I honked revved er up but he still kept coming....when I confronted him he said he didnt see me....thats cuz you didnt look. too busy looking at that chick  no damage, bumper to tire. whew! The next was an unsignaling eldery man and his wife pulled right in front of me  he also said he didnt see me, both of these drivers got an earfull and probably wont do that again. I'm allways scanning my surroundings on a bike or car. Its scarry out there, they really dont pay attention and take us seriously be aware motorcycles are everywhere...right! And watch out for deer and other dangers.  Sometimes I feel safer riding in the dirt but not on my FJ.               Charley.                                                                                                 

[Arnie]

I too will add my kudos for your write-up.
All very valuable information and practices we should all keep "front of mind".

Only quibble is, What is there for us to argue about dispute? 

[gumby302ho]

 In the province of Ontario there have been 26 motorcycle deaths on our roads. The police say with 2 more months of riding at this pace a record amount of deaths on motorcycles could very well happen. Average age was 44 to 55 and factors which caused the deaths were speed, drinking and assholes in vehicles that did not see the riders. So its not always the young and crazy is it. Thanks for the riding refresher, it helps in the mind set whenever I put my helmet on. instead of bobble head it is swivel head for us.