GEARED TO RIDE By Shane ‘Rossey’ Ross
Hey bike fans, Rossey here…
As another week goes by, there has been more motorcycle rider deaths prompting more discussion on proper motorcycle rider training. Good motorcycle rider training is vital to survive on our roads, but if you don’t have the time or the funds to participate in refresher motorcycle rider training courses, you can always go online and discover some new skills that may help you survive the ride.
But this week we are going to talk about crash avoidance space. Crash avoidance space is the space between you and the vehicle in front. There is a common misconception that motorcycles brake quicker than cars, but that is not true. Motorcycles actually take longer to brake as a result of the limited contact patch on the road. Cars are more stable under braking and have four tyres with a road contact patch roughly the size of your hand, where motorcycles are less stable, and only have two tyres with a road contact patch the size of the side of your palm.
The crash avoidance space for motorcycles is three seconds. This allows the rider to have more time to react and apply the proper braking technique to pull the bike up to avoid a crash and reduce the likelihood of a major impact. Let’s do some math and explain what I mean… Stop rolling your eyes!
At 60kph, you are travelling at 16.7 metres per second. An average person’s reaction time is 1.5 seconds upon seeing a potential hazard. In that 1.5 seconds, the rider has already travelled 25 metres before applying the brake. Once applied, the braking distance is approx. 25.3 metres, with a
total distance of 50.3 metres from the moment the rider acknowledges the hazard, to the moment the rider stops before impact. All up, there is your three seconds.
At 80kph, you are travelling at 22.2 metres per second, with a reaction time of 1.5 seconds, which equates to 33.3 metres. Braking distance is 44.9 metres, equating to a total stopping distance of 78.2 metres from the moment the rider has seen the potential hazard.
At 100kph, you are traveling at 27.8 metres per second. Response time is 41.7 metres, and braking distance is 70.1 metres. That is a whopping 111.8 metres the rider has travelled from the moment of acknowledgment of the hazard to a complete stop.
There are some other benefits of leaving a gap between yourself and the vehicle in front, and that is vision… The further back you are, the more you open up your vision, making it possible to react quicker and more safely in emergency braking situations, spotting potential hazards, such as potholes, road debris, and being able to position the bike to avoid other situations such as roadkill, vehicles entering the roadway from driveways and intersections, and kangaroos. And remember, double your crash avoidance space in poor conditions such as rain and fog.
Now… some may say that every time I leave a three second gap, someone sneaks in between me and the vehicle in front, causing me to lose time… but how much time are you really losing? Let’s put that into perspective…
If other motorists cut in front of you five times, how much time have you lost?
LESS THAN 15 SECONDS.
It’s not a lot of time. I like to describe this to my students as “let the baby have their bottle, because they can’t see our smiles under our helmet”. And that’s what I’m talking about. Motorcycling is supposed to be fun and enjoyable, and if you let every little thing annoy you, you’re not getting the full experience.
So, enjoy the ride, keep your distance, increase your crash avoidance space and keep smiling, because I can assure you, the person in that car is not having as much fun as you. So, remember, as I always say, stay shiny side up, and ride your own ride.
I’m Rossey, and I’m going to get you Geared to Ride.
