Wanted: articles for a driver training mag

The Australian Driver Trainers Association (or some such name, I didn't
take full notes on this) has asked if we can give them articles for
their magazine.

What they want is articles written for people who train car drivers,
articles about things they should know about bikes.

This is a good chance to get good habits in early. What should the
trainer be teaching the learner to do? When should they do headchecks,
how to explain estimating a motorcycle speed, how to understand what a
bike will do, what's good manners around a bike, even something about
reminding them to look for parked bikes...

What we want is for people to write short - 1 page or less - articles
that we can give the magazine. helpful, useful information that
trainers can put straight into practice.

"do headchecks" isn't as useful as why bikes aren't always in mirrors
and when to do the headcheck for example. How is it different to
checking for cars? Is it?

work out how you deal when in a car, and how to teach it.

If you think you can write such a thing, then do so and let me know,
I'll pass it on.

Zebee

 

After an incident today, here's a bit of advice:

When you know there is a motorcycle behind you and you take the right hand lane approaching a roundabout, make sure you
check the left lane is clear before changing your mind diving across to turn left at the last second. I was able to take
evasive action and avoid a collision with the fucking moron that did it to me, but a simple check by him before changing
lanes (without indicating!!!!) would have avoided any problems altogether.

Damien
GPX250 (stolen) -> CBR600

 

Lane Sharing-

A motorcycle rider is trained to value the space around him a safety buffer,
car drivers often interpret this space as an invitation to merge or use the
empty 'safety buffer' as a narrow overtaking lane. A motorcycle may legally
use the whole space of the lane they are riding in. A motorcycle rider may
at any time choose to ride in the left or right hand side or may chose to
change from one side of the lane to another for a number of reasons,
including;

1. Obstacle avoidance (eg . a tree branch laying in the middle of the road
may be a nuisance in a car, but may be fatal to a motorcycle rider)

2. Improve visibility (eg . sitting in the most leftmost part of a lane on a
right hand corner allows the rider to see further ahead down the road)

3. Increase presence (eg. motorcycle riders are trained to move within a
lane as it makes them more visible to other road users)

Sharing a lane with a motorcycle rider is a violation of their safety
buffer, and if a motorcycle rider decides to move within their lane at the
same time as a car decides to share it, the results may be wet and squishy.

 

In aus.motorcycles on Tue, 3 Feb 2004 18:46:35 +1100

Excellent! Saved, and thanks.

If you want to email me your name, then you'll get credited if used.

Zebee

 

It's not what zebee is looking for, but I sat in a new Mazda 3 today (aka
shopping trolley, sharks). It has the airbags which deploy from the
A-pillar.

I was staggered how thick the pillar was, and what a large area of vision
they blocked out, particularly on the drivers side. If this is a trend, I
can see a lot more smidy's in future.

 

I can never understand why the build those new spaghetti estates with all
curved roads so you end up looking through the pillar half the time.

 

Yep, that too.

 

Pillar? You put a roof on the Harley, Peteo?

-----sharks

 

Damn, busted!