Why I Speed in Traffic

Law enforcement and the Dept of Motor Vehicles/Licensing fail to recognize/acknowledge (and they should) that a motorcylist is ALWAYS safer if she is traveling slightly faster than the traffic around her. Reason being that in doing so the motorcyclist's "radius of attention" is reduced to 180* from 360* and she no longer has to pay as much attention to what is going on behind or beside her because . . . . it is behind her. The threat radius is reduced by half simply by going faster than the rolling steel behemoth cages that surround her.
Actually, "surround" is not the correct word. Now, because she is outpacing traffic, they only halfround her.

Compare that to the motorcyclist going slower than (or the same speed as) the traffic around him - now he has to pay attention to the overtaking (or adjacent) drivers who now present the risks of their running over the motorcyclist or making unsafe and unpredictable lane changes to pass the motorcyclist. His threat radius is doubled.

IMO, most motorcyclists, without even realizing why, speed in traffic because intuitively they are reducing the complication and risk of driving. They can focus more on the greater risks/impact energy of what is front of them and less on the difficult to see and apprehend risks behind them.

But then you have to worry about faster motorcycles :!:

I do it because it is easy to pass cars that can't go anywhere, this way I go faster than if I was in a car. You would be very surprised to see how fast you can get around on a bicycle in heavy traffic simply because you don't have to stop except for personal safety, even motorcycles can't go as fast, well at least here, in Paris it is a cool place to ride a motorcycle because splitting lanes is allowed.

Jean

Speeding because it's safer. I'm sure that will work. :roll:

It works for me!

That's my excuse.

Then there is the fact that we need far less room to manoeuvre than a car, power to weight ratio, etc..... and I don't like seeing anything in front of me impeding my progress.

But why do I speed when there's no traffic?

Going faster than traffic is safer, if I make a mistake most likley there won't be a car involved. Car drivers are dangerous and lack attention as to what is around them (me). I keep away.

I agree, it's safer. If you are moving faster than everyone else on the road-then they can't run into you! :wink:

Guys and gals...

While I certainly appreciate the logic here (or is it rationalization?), one of the biggest threats to a motorcycle in traffic is from persons who are crossing or entering traffic in front of you. By moving faster than the other traffic you are increasing the odds of some idiot pulling out in front of you. As for moving faster than the surrounding traffic for safety, the real goal here is to stay out of blind spots. While I really like the 180 degree vs 360 concept...I think you are increasing your danger factor in that 180 degree zone and you shouldn't completely fool yourself about that.

One the freeway sure...on any two way street with intersections or driveways...maybe not.

Ride safe,
Russ

L.A.B. said:

I agree, it's safer. If you are moving faster than everyone else on the road-then they can't run into you! :wink:

Click to expand...

From the back, but then you have the sides and the front to worry about. As many of you know, I ride bicycles a lot and I used to think cage drivers and bicycle riders were two different breeds, but that is not true, the bicycle riders I see making stupid mistakes are the same idiots driving cars endangering others on the roads. The same holds true of motorcycle riders, the idiots in cars WILL make unsafe motorcycle riders.

Riding fast is OK in some circumstances, the key factor in surviving is speed differential, the faster you are going with respect to other traffic, the more your chances of getting in an accident are increased.

Jean

The faster you go the less time your there , so the more room there is for everyone else .

Some days it doesnt pay , others .

Mindless W.F.O. is likely to end tragicly and ruin a good bike too, unfortunately . Though after
doing a defensive driveing course , I realised offensive Driveing was a lot safer. Command the
Road .Maintain the most advantageous position . Dont let shopping baskets run you into the
gutter . Stay well clear of it . And know your road and weather etc if getting entusiastic . :mrgreen:

Jeandr said:

L.A.B. said:

I agree, it's safer. If you are moving faster than everyone else on the road-then they can't run into you! :wink:

Click to expand...

From the back, but then you have the sides and the front to worry about. As many of you know, I ride bicycles a lot and I used to think cage drivers and bicycle riders were two different breeds, but that is not true, the bicycle riders I see making stupid mistakes are the same idiots driving cars endangering others on the roads. The same holds true of motorcycle riders, the idiots in cars WILL make unsafe motorcycle riders.

Riding fast is OK in some circumstances, the key factor in surviving is speed differential, the faster you are going with respect to other traffic, the more your chances of getting in an accident are increased.

Jean

Click to expand...

OK, well, I wasn't being entirely serious!

' Motorcycle Roadcraft ' specifies being able to STOP in 1`/2 the distance you can see ahead .

This book should be compulsary reading for all motorcyclists .
And it was written by a pom for pommy motorcycles . :shock:

Of course, my titling of this thread was intended to be provacative.

My point, to reiterate, is just that a motorcyclist in traffic ALWAYS reduces his liability by going SLIGHTLY faster than the traffic around him.

Yes, of course, in doing so, he does SLIGHTLY increase the liability from a frontal risk by not being able to evade or brake because of his slightly higher speed. I'll trade a lesser risk for a larger one, every time.

Changing the subject to another point, since we (in the U.S.) drive on the right hand side of the road, the "mountain right" turns are always more risky than lefts. Of course, the word "mountain" includes bushes, trucks, signs, buildings, trees, etc., that block our view around right turning corners.

Lefts, by comparison, always give you a bit more margin since you can see across the opposing lane and farther around the corner. That fact of course unconsciously allows us to take lefts with a bit more speed. Similarly, the greater degree (literally) of blindness of rights, unconsciously causes us to take rights with a bit less speed.

When a turn is blind, a late apex in both rights and lefts, dynamically, gives us a little bit better point of view to see around the turn before we enter the parts that were blind just a split second ago.

Naturally, swap "left" for" right" if you ride where they drive on the "wrong side" of the road.

Let me add to this, Cell Phones and texting. Any comments ?

Phil

Norton-Villier said:

Let me add to this, Cell Phones and texting. Any comments ?

Phil

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With gloves, I find it difficult to text while riding, the touchscreen is almost impossible. :lol:

Xbacksider : ) You and a few others verify my own findings and attitude.

I know for a life long fact that to appear somewhat dangerous and aggressive in traffic is BY FAR the safest way to exposure your life and bike in public. THE ONLY TIMES I HAVE CLOSE CALLS IN TRAFFIC IS WHEN I AM BEHAVING LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.

I don't mean ticket speeding, I don't mean flying through intersections nor whizzing pass cars threatening to pull across your path. I mean getting ahead of traffic clusters, fun lane changes and quick spurts and some weaving about, plus keeping good distance away from cages. It also means I slow up fast too, after checking rear is clear. Loud pipes are only heard when right next too or in front of people in cages btw.

I DO NOT follow close to the cars/trucks I pass, I weave or even flash light a ways back or as I rush up behind, then swing out on power and zoom around and back in lane, no danger of power loss doing this as already fast enough momentum would get me ahead, I pass traffic like a racer and don't attempt a pass until i know for sure its clear ahead seeing the whole road surface or I just enjoy the ride going slower - a good ways back. I work my way ahead of traffic in seemingly dramatic spurts watching for the other danger of cops with a quota. traffic cameras must be considered in aggressive behavior too.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LFI704OHPI[/video]

Motorcycles and texting? Get a kick outta this!