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I made a mistake while riding a few days back. Fortunately I did not have to pay for it. BUT, I did learn from it!
I'd rather never make a mistake, but if I do, can't ask for better outcome...no payment and a chance to learn!
I was headed home from the shop. It was after dark. If I can help it, I do not ride the back roads after dark, in order to avoid the critters. So I was taking the interstate.
Nearing the end of the on-ramp, where I would need to merge onto the interstate lane of traffic, I looked over my shoulder to confirm that it was safe to merge. It was. When I looked back ahead I saw one big road gator straight ahead and several medium and smaller gators to the right (emergency lane) and to the left. There was no way to maneuver around them, and no time to stop ( I was already up to 70 mph) before running over them. So I aimed for the flattest one straight ahead of me.
My front tire and BOTH rear tires went over it, quite loudly.
When safe, I pulled over and checked the tires to make sure none of them were going flat. Then headed on home, carefully. When home I checked the TG over and could see no damage to tires, body, or along the bottom of the TG. So I got thru it with no damage.
What I learned, or should say, re-learned...I already knew this-
It is very easy to over-drive ones headlights, driving lights, auxiliary driving lights at night-time. During the day I would have seen the gators before I turned to look for traffic. At 70 mph, one travels about 102 feet per second. So even a 1.5 second glance to the rear, for checking traffic is 150 feet traveled.
Since even the best headlight/driving light set up is only going to illuminate the road well enough to see things like gators about 200 feet out, there simply is not enough time to be riding 70 mph and doing a normal shoulder check.
Either slowing down, or doing a very fast check are the only safe alternatives.
While riding at night, if there is no other traffic, I will use my high beam, which reaches much further out (which I could have/should have done, and did not...mistake!). If there is traffic, then I ride far enough back that my low beam lights up to the back of their vehicle and then I use their lights to see in front of them.
Another thing reinforced (day or night), do not follow too closely, and when there is someone ahead, even when following at a "safe" distance, position oneself to the left or right so that you can see a bit in front of them.
At 100 feet per second, there is just not a lot of time to react if something comes out from under a car in front.
Ride Safe out there!
Kevin
I'd rather never make a mistake, but if I do, can't ask for better outcome...no payment and a chance to learn!
I was headed home from the shop. It was after dark. If I can help it, I do not ride the back roads after dark, in order to avoid the critters. So I was taking the interstate.
Nearing the end of the on-ramp, where I would need to merge onto the interstate lane of traffic, I looked over my shoulder to confirm that it was safe to merge. It was. When I looked back ahead I saw one big road gator straight ahead and several medium and smaller gators to the right (emergency lane) and to the left. There was no way to maneuver around them, and no time to stop ( I was already up to 70 mph) before running over them. So I aimed for the flattest one straight ahead of me.
My front tire and BOTH rear tires went over it, quite loudly.
When safe, I pulled over and checked the tires to make sure none of them were going flat. Then headed on home, carefully. When home I checked the TG over and could see no damage to tires, body, or along the bottom of the TG. So I got thru it with no damage.
What I learned, or should say, re-learned...I already knew this-
It is very easy to over-drive ones headlights, driving lights, auxiliary driving lights at night-time. During the day I would have seen the gators before I turned to look for traffic. At 70 mph, one travels about 102 feet per second. So even a 1.5 second glance to the rear, for checking traffic is 150 feet traveled.
Since even the best headlight/driving light set up is only going to illuminate the road well enough to see things like gators about 200 feet out, there simply is not enough time to be riding 70 mph and doing a normal shoulder check.
Either slowing down, or doing a very fast check are the only safe alternatives.
While riding at night, if there is no other traffic, I will use my high beam, which reaches much further out (which I could have/should have done, and did not...mistake!). If there is traffic, then I ride far enough back that my low beam lights up to the back of their vehicle and then I use their lights to see in front of them.
Another thing reinforced (day or night), do not follow too closely, and when there is someone ahead, even when following at a "safe" distance, position oneself to the left or right so that you can see a bit in front of them.
At 100 feet per second, there is just not a lot of time to react if something comes out from under a car in front.
Ride Safe out there!
Kevin
