Keep these in mind and increase your chances of avoiding an accident
Car drivers don’t always check their mirrors or use the turning lights. Traffic can become very dangerous if you don’t keep your eyes wide open. Don’t leave yourself exposed, here are a few situations that are the most common scenarios for an accident.
Lane splitting with slow moving traffic
Lane splitting gives is a great advantage for motorcycle riders. It allows you to save a lot of time, but you have to be very careful. When riding between slow moving cars or near the edge, close to the sidewalk, you have to keep in mind that cars can cut you off at any moment. Usually, the cars change direction without signaling it. This situation might occur when you approach a side street.
Filtering on the outside edge
Taking the outside edge when filtering is the fastest way to get rid of traffic. Although it seems safe, you have to avoid doing this when the cars are stopped. The lights might not be the only reason for vehicles to stop. A pedestrian crossing or a car making a left turn can get you in serious trouble.
Cutting the light
Cutting the light should be practiced at the drag strip, not in the city. When this happens, you expose yourself in front of careless drivers forcing the red light. A fraction of a second is enough for a serious crash. Keep your eyes wide open and start a bit slower.
Stay away from big vehicles
Trucks and buses need more space for manoeuvres than regular cars. For example, a truck needs more than one lane to enter a side street. If you get too close, you might end up getting a hit. Filtering between large vehicles is also very risky. If one of the drivers avoids an obstacle, you can get in serious problems, trapped like in a vice.
Blind spot
The dimensions of a motorcycle are usually small compared to a car. You can easily hide behind a car, but this is not a good thing. Although car drivers have more than two rearview mirrors, there’s a small area that the mirrors can’t cover. That area is called the blind spot. Try to make yourself seen if you plan to ride behind a vehicle.
Opened car doors
The city rush where everybody is in a hurry can get you into serious trouble. The traffic has no mercy and an open car door is the worst thing that can happen while filtering between stopped cars. This kind of impact is very hard to avoid. The recommendation is to lower the speed when passing between stopped cars.
