Andrew Anderson © 2014 The Happy Biker All Rights Reserved
“I do not need any help, it’s others that need help, not me.”
The above statement is just one of what I hear from others when talking about safety and the system of advanced riding, along with;
“So what, who needs that I just accelerate away or go on the pavement” I might hear them say, and “I’ve been riding for years and never needed any additional help let alone advanced riding, bunch of pansies” and “I know what I am doing, it’s others that need the help, not me”.
I have heard this many times from all types of people who use bike’s so I ask a few questions and listen further and more comes across like; “I was riding along minding me own business and then this bike (or car, van, lorry) comes out from no-where all of a sudden like and he saw me too late”, “I shouted watch out mate, I’m already here”, and “we all have a right to use the road, move over” and then sometimes shout some abuse or slap the vehicle.
Yes, so sad these are just a few comment I hear from bikers and other vehicle road users say too often and WHY?
What is Advanced Riding?
Advanced riding has many aspects the greatest of these I believe is giving yourself
“time to react” this is achieved by being observant and using the information around
ourselves to give us the “time to react” by adjust our ride to keep away from hazards
so we can travelling along the roads that is there for all of us enjoy unhindered.
HOW
CAN WE ACHIEVE THIS?
An answer to the above two questions;
1. WHY?
In most cases it is due to the lack of observation skill of the rider of what can be seen and failure to act upon the information received to change, speed, and position to name two, speed is the biggest killer and no second chance if you die.
You might be right in saying to me “I do not need any help, its others that need help not me” but when your dead or seriously injured, you say to me “there I told you so, “it was there fault” or “I indicated” or “I had right of way”, big deal, bad way to prove a point when you’re dead or seriously injured and the other(s) involved are alive. So could you have done anything different to change outcome and have the odd’s in your favour?
I would now ask the rider who was allegedly taken unaware, why did you keep on the same speed and course, WHY? If you are so great at biking observing all road users and everyone else's is at fault at the point of killing you, if you could have changed something! WHY didn't you?
2. HOW CAN WE ACHIEVE THIS?
Ride so that you are able to stop safely on your own side of the road in the distance you can see to be clear, think about that and see if you can!
Without a willingness to learn no matter how much training one receives, the person receiving the training will not reach there own full potential.
At times competent riders may miss the obvious and fail to truly perceive and recognise what is seen and act upon the information to ride better and with more confidence.
The IAM & RoSPA are about "progress where safe to do so" That does not mean speeding, it means looking well ahead and flowing in through and around obstacles; be they vehicles, traffic controls, junctions etc, without interrupting other road users movements or cause them to take action on you being there. Want to know more?
IAM - Solent Advanced Motorcyclists. OR RoSPA - RoADAR Hants.
“Skills for Life” training ran by the Institute of Advanced motorists (IAM) and clubs affiliated to the IAM.
SAM or Solent Advanced Motorcyclists are affiliated to the IAM and meet at Sarisbury Green Community Centre Perhaps try a SAM Sunday!
There is a group called: “RoADAR Hants”
Once again, just trying to show ways if you want to increase your skill level!
Enjoy the slides and fast pace of Proven Knowledge.