By Peter Edens of Kalorama

When travelling to or from the city during peak hour the roads are often heavily congested with traffic. This is a dangerous environment for the motorcyclist.   Car drivers can change lanes suddenly upon seeing a gap in the traffic and will not see a motorcyclist travelling between the traffic.   When there is a gap in the traffic large enough for a car to merge, slow down so that you have enough time to react if a car suddenly changes lanes (Ed note: Remember that riding between lines of moving vehicles, more commonly known as lane splitting is not only dangerous as described but is also illegal).

When cars are waiting to merge from side streets the traffic will sometimes stop and leave a gap for them to cross both lanes to merge.  Sometimes these cars merge with the direction of the traffic and sometimes they cross completely to the other side of the road and travel in the opposite direction.  These drivers are usually looking in the wrong direction when a bike approaches.  When approaching side streets, slow down and check if there are any cars waiting to merge and if there are make sure that the driver has seen you.  If you are unsure, slow down and stop with the traffic as it is better to wait for a short time than to wreck your bike and yourself.

By John Kaup of Wangaratta

The difficult part of inner city riding that I have found is anticipating what car drivers are about to do. If you look at the driver (without losing focus on what else is going on around you), they are always looking in the opposite direction to you. It's always safe to slow down a little at intersections and be ready for someone to pull out in front of you.

Country riding is great fun, there's nothing better. But it can quickly come to an end when you’re in an avenue of trees and an oncoming car doesn't see you. Modern bikes these days have the headlight wired ON, but if you have an older bike like me it's much safer to make sure it's ON before you ride.

By Leigh Marriner of Grovedale

Often accidents between motorcycles and other vehicles are the result of the other driver simply not seeing the motorcyclist. Usually the comment "he came out of no where" is heard. However we do come from somewhere and it may have been from beyond that driver’s line of sight. (Indeed, intersection crashes are the most common type of motorcyle crashes involving other vehicles, Ed.)

To minimise risk I always ask myself: Am I within the other driver’s line of sight?

When approaching intersections I look for the vehicle which is the greatest threat to myself. This will be the vehicle which is able to enter the intersection into my path.

I think of his position and what would or could obstruct his view of myself. A common obstruction is vehicles in front of you, particularly if they are executing a turn. To counter this, decrease your speed to create a much larger gap between yourself and the vehicle in front. This will keep the other driver’s line of sight clearer. If you follow too closely you will be hidden from other vehicles’ lines of sight by the vehicle you’re effectively tailgating. If other vehicles enter the intersection you will have very little time to react.

Another common obstruction is parked cars. Another vehicle waiting to enter an intersection may have their view impaired by parked cars, which you are hidden behind. Because motorcyclists only make up a small percentage of road users, other drivers will most likely be watching out for another car or truck (usually drivers look for something similar in size or bigger than their own vehicle).

So never assume that this vehicle will have seen you as motorcyclists are not as easily seen. Once again reduce speed on approaching the intersection and change your road position to either the left hand wheel track or the right hand wheel track (whichever is furthest away from the parked cars) this will position you better within the driver’s line of sight and can prevent the other vehicle from entering the intersection into your path.

Those are just a couple of examples. The important thing to remember is to always ask yourself while riding: am I within other drivers’ lines of sight? It will open your eyes to a number of risk factors that you may not have otherwise been conscious of.

Happy Riding Everyone.

Riding motorcycles in urban environments is hazardous to all riders, but particularly for first time motorcycle riders. Beginner motorcycle riders will often watch and copy the behaviour of other more experienced riders; however this is not always a wise thing to do.

In my view, the KEY to safe riding for all motorcyclists is to set your own riding safety boundaries, and to stick to them. Riding safety boundaries are safe riding rules/limitations that we set for ourselves, that will enable us to stay alive when riding motorcycles. All motorcycle riders have different riding skill levels. Be aware of your riding abilities and comfort zones, and integrate them with your riding safety boundaries.

Example 1. When riding at higher speeds in heavy traffic on freeways, I prefer to keep to one lane rather than moving in and out of lanes. Sure, it is always tempting to follow other motorcycle riders who may be more aggressively riding through the traffic. However, by sticking to my riding safety boundary/rules, I feel safer and it helps me to minimize the risk of placing myself in potentially dangerous situations.

Example 2. When moving between lanes in stationary traffic, ride at a speed that you are comfortable with, and that will enable you stop your motorcycle should a vehicle pull out in front of you. There are times when you may be running late. Don’t be tempted to exceed the speed that you have determined that is within your riding safety boundary, even if other motorcycle riders may be doing so.

Example 3. When riding on freeways and other vehicles pass you, it is sometimes tempting to speed up or even pass the vehicles. OK, your bike is capable of going much faster than the other vehicles, but is speeding a safe thing to do? Remind yourself of your riding safety boundary, it will keep you alive.

By adopting your own motorcycle riding safety boundaries and sticking to them, you stand a much better chance of avoiding accidents and staying alive.

(Ed’s note: Lane splitting is only legal when traffic is stationary, as described in Example 2. Another thought on speed … The faster you go, the harder it is to stop and the harder you hit.)

By Roger Hill of Lilydale

Drive like a CAT -
C - Concentration
A - Anticipation
T - Toleration

I believe this to be the key to safe riding/driving encapsulated in an easy to remember acronym.

CONCENTRATION means keeping your mind wholly on the riding/driving activity, vehicle attitude, road conditions, other vehicle behaviour, etc.

ANTICIPATION means being alert for the effects of such as gravel on the road, a stick lying on the road, the possibility of a truck coming around a blind corner, etc.

TOLERATION means being calm in the face of aggressive behaviour by other road users.