Submitted by Amedee Aucoin
Words to Survive By
The BMW Owners of Nova Scotia M/C club tries to put out a few words of wisdom now and then. Particularly fitting are some reminders of what to look out for when each riding season starts. We try to publish the following in a spring newsletter. I offer it now as a permanent record where all who are interested can refer to it.
- Amedee
1. KNOW AND BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE INVISIBLE TO ALL OTHER DRIVERS.
2. When approaching any intersection, assume cars traveling in the opposite direction are going to turn left and run over you. Be prepared to take evasive action.
3. ALWAYS-ALWAYS have an escape route out of a situation to avoid the consequences of other peoples' mistakes. Keep looking for the gap that you can use when someone else screws up.
4. Adjust your speed to your reaction time. At the end of a tiring day it will be much longer than it was on the way to work at 8:00AM, so ride with bigger safety margins.
5. Check BOTH directions when the light turns green. Maybe only one time in 10,000 will someone run the light. For a high mileage rider that could be more often than most.
6. Drivers that are using their car phones are not using their brains. Watch out for them.
7. Mirrors are important. If they don't show anything but your elbows, buy some that do. Always use your mirrors.
8. Use other people's mirrors, too. Look into the mirror of the car in front of you. That way you can see where they are looking, and how attentive they are. If you can see them, chances are better that they can see you.
9. Trucks and vans often have a hard time checking their right side blind spot.
10. Slippery oil, antifreeze, and ATF look like water, particularly in low light. Try to avoid all wet spots, but if you can't, ride over them smoothly.
11. Check under (behind) parked cars. Those legs you see belong to a child who may run out in front of you.
12. Anticipate the moves of other vehicles. Drivers don't always use their turn signals in traffic, but you MAY be able to tell where they are going by watching their heads turn just before they change lanes.
13. Treat all metal surfaces - train rails, bridge gratings, manhole covers - with the utmost respect. They offer very little traction when dry, and almost none when wet. Ride over them as smoothly as possible.
14. Ride in a gear that will allow you to accelerate quickly if you need to get out of a tight spot.
15. Never lose your temper when riding....If you do, STOP, take a breather, and then resume your ride.
16. Always be on the lookout for, and expect, the unexpected.
17. Avoid racing with other motorists.
18. IF YOU'RE NOT SURE, DON'T!
MOTORCYCLE SAFETY - Share the road, save a life.
<br /><img src="http://www.carinsurancecalculatoronline.com/wp-content/themes/calculator/WinterDriving/CopyToClipboard/motorcycle-safety.jpg" alt="The Motorcycle Safety" id="the_img_link"><br />
<p>The Motorcycle Safety by the team at <a href="http://www.carinsurancecalculatoronline.com/motorcycle-safety/" id="the_img_link">CarInsuranceCalculatorOnline.com</a></p>
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<br /><img src="http://www.carinsurancecalculatoronline.com/wp-content/themes/calculator/WinterDriving/CopyToClipboard/motorcycle-safety.jpg" alt="The Motorcycle Safety" id="the_img_link"><br />
<p>The Motorcycle Safety by the team at <a href="http://www.carinsurancecalculatoronline.com/motorcycle-safety/" id="the_img_link">CarInsuranceCalculatorOnline.com</a></p>
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