RIDER TRAINING - BACK OFF! - JUST BIKES

Rider Training - BACK OFF!

The two ironies of this are, firstly, that it is usually on a 4WD following less than a car space behind the vehicle in front. Secondly, the driver has spent dollars protecting a spare wheel, but risks the entire vehicle and themselves by not allowing space to stop if something goes wrong on the road ahead. Of course, picking on 4WDs isn't fair, as many road users, motorcyclists included, follow way too close.

Like any action, if we do something often enough without suffering a negative consequence, desensitisation to associated risks sets in. Eventually, we forget about the risk altogether.

So, complacency is a major cause of tailgating. Less experienced operators haven't had time to become complacent and may be simply unaware of the risk. No one has told them and they haven't yet found out the hard way. Then, of course, there is the group who acknowledge the risk, but just don't care. They are often drivers of bigger vehicles that give them a sense of safety - "I'll be right, whatever happens". Whatever the reason, tailgating seems to be the norm these days.

To address the importance of maintaining the vital "crash avoidance space" up ahead, pre-learner motorcycle trainees must practice stopping quickly from a speed of about 20kph. The objectives of this exercise are to develop the physical skill of stopping and the mental awareness of the time and space required to stop. The practice session is followed by a brief, but effective presentation examining the results. The whole group then paces out the minimum safe distance to ride behind an imaginary vehicle at higher speeds of up to 60kph.

The reactions of trainees are always interesting as the group paces out about 50m (that's the length of an Olympic swimming pool) away from a marked point and are informed that when travelling at 60kph, 50m is a minimum safe following distance. Some stay strangely silent, slack-jawed, eyes wide. Most acknowledge that rarely do they hang that far back when driving. Of these, a few are in the "I never realised. . ." category. In denial, others bravely defend tailgating, with the view that it will take way too long to reach a destination if they stayed "that far back". This suggests a belief that by staying back, somehow they are travelling far slower than everyone else. Others pursue the "get there quicker" theme, proclaiming the cheeky strategy of closing up the gap whenever a pesky overtaker looks like making a move.

Hey, guys. Chill out - it's not a race! Do the arithmetic. If you stay back at least 3 seconds you will be only 2 seconds later getting to the destination than the 1 second tailgater. The big difference, of course, is that the tailgater mightn't get there at all. Even if, 10 times during a single journey, impatient overtakers enter your 3 second crash avoidance space, and you respond each time by backing off 1 1/2 seconds, you only lose 15 seconds in total trip time. In heavy traffic, the reality is that very little overtaking/cutting-in actually happens. By not backing off, tailgaters just increase risk and stress levels for everyone.

Backing off allows you to see ahead of the vehicle in front, rather than just fixating on its brake light. Better vision gives you earlier warning of changes in traffic situations that could cause anything to block your path and more time to do something about it.

The 3 second crash avoidance space principle asserts that the average alert adult will take about 1 1/2 - 2 seconds reacting to a serious problem developing up ahead then about the same time to actually brake to a complete stop.

The reaction time component starts when we see the problem. We must perceive it as a problem, make a decision to brake, then take physical action to commence braking. It's easy to forget that at just 60kph we travel at least 25 metres during the reaction time component before effective braking commences. Reaction time can be much longer than 2 seconds if our concentration is effected by fatigue, illness, grog, drugs, frame of mind, distractions and so on.

The braking time component starts at the moment we achieve effective braking and ends when we brake to a complete stop. For motorcyclists in particular, experience and skill level play a huge part in our ability to stop quickly. Less experienced operators are prone to panicked over-reactions, skids and crashes. Higher speeds, bumpy, wet or loose surfaces, lean angles, balding tyres, incorrect tyre pressures, and extra weight from luggage/pillions are just some of the factors which increase a bike's braking time and distance, irrespective of rider skill. These reaction and braking time factors form a strong argument that 3 seconds is not nearly long enough.

In the ACT where I live - and where tailgating has become an art form - well over half of all road crashes involve a rear-ender. Vehicle damage is inconvenient and repairs are expensive. Driver injuries range from nil to serious with painful whiplash a common outcome. For a tailgating motorcycle rider, injury consequences will inevitably be severe. If the rider was being tailgated just before the crash, the likely consequences do not even bear thinking about. And all for the sake of a few seconds.

Next time you are travelling closer than 3 seconds to the vehicle ahead, you need to weigh up two things - the benefit being gained from your action versus the potential cost if someone up ahead makes a mistake and everything goes pear-shaped. This should be enough to make you back off.

What else can you do? Consider a rider-training course to learn more about safe riding strategies and physical skills like stopping quickly.