OB_Dirty Pete
Registered
I'm with Mr. Bear on this bail out thing.
If you've got an coming car that's wandered across lanes, is heading right for you and that may or may not take evasive action at the last minute, you've got 3 choices.
(I'm talking here about the kind of fool that wanders into your lane, as opposed to a sudden swerve caused by a heart attack or a blow out. In the former case, you've got some warning, but the car may change direction unpredictably. In the latter case, you get little warning, but the car will hold a more predictable trajectory.)
The choices:
1. Bail, slide and lose your ability to control your speed or direction. Maybe just get run over like a raccoon. Maybe the fool driver sees you go down and just on keeps driving like FC's waitress could have.
2. Stay on your path, lose speed rapidly (to reduce impact force) and lay on your horn, hoping the fool will come to his senses and correct. If a crash seems inevitable, stand on your pegs and be prepared to jump over the car as it crashes into your bike.
3. Take immediate radical evasive action in any direction available to you, keeping your eyes on the car so you can re-correct if necessary. FC couldn't go right because of the rail, but maybe he could have gone over left and let the fool pass to his right. In this case, you still have the option of jumping over the car just before impact.
If you can't take option 3 because of on-coming traffic, then option 2 may work.
The really important point I think is that in a crash with a car, head-on or T-bone, a motorcyclist always has the option to leave the scene of the accident by jumping over the car.
A car collision doesn't HAVE to be mortal, so you shouldn't lay down just because you have good reason to believe you're going to crash.
The crash itself is one more opportunity to escape serious injury.
On-coming out-of-control trucks...that's something else. I wouldn't even think of laying down in front of a truck...you can't jump over them. You fight that one to the end. Fortunately, trucks can't change direction as quickly as cars.
Sorry to ramble, but I think it's an important debate and I'd love to be shown that there's a better escape plan than mine.
If you've got an coming car that's wandered across lanes, is heading right for you and that may or may not take evasive action at the last minute, you've got 3 choices.
(I'm talking here about the kind of fool that wanders into your lane, as opposed to a sudden swerve caused by a heart attack or a blow out. In the former case, you've got some warning, but the car may change direction unpredictably. In the latter case, you get little warning, but the car will hold a more predictable trajectory.)
The choices:
1. Bail, slide and lose your ability to control your speed or direction. Maybe just get run over like a raccoon. Maybe the fool driver sees you go down and just on keeps driving like FC's waitress could have.
2. Stay on your path, lose speed rapidly (to reduce impact force) and lay on your horn, hoping the fool will come to his senses and correct. If a crash seems inevitable, stand on your pegs and be prepared to jump over the car as it crashes into your bike.
3. Take immediate radical evasive action in any direction available to you, keeping your eyes on the car so you can re-correct if necessary. FC couldn't go right because of the rail, but maybe he could have gone over left and let the fool pass to his right. In this case, you still have the option of jumping over the car just before impact.
If you can't take option 3 because of on-coming traffic, then option 2 may work.
The really important point I think is that in a crash with a car, head-on or T-bone, a motorcyclist always has the option to leave the scene of the accident by jumping over the car.
A car collision doesn't HAVE to be mortal, so you shouldn't lay down just because you have good reason to believe you're going to crash.
The crash itself is one more opportunity to escape serious injury.
On-coming out-of-control trucks...that's something else. I wouldn't even think of laying down in front of a truck...you can't jump over them. You fight that one to the end. Fortunately, trucks can't change direction as quickly as cars.
Sorry to ramble, but I think it's an important debate and I'd love to be shown that there's a better escape plan than mine.
