Street Survival
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50 Ways to SAVE
YOUR Life
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Motorcycle
Cruiser's mothership, Motorcyclist magazine, recently published the following
advce to an overwhelmingly appreciative response. It was decided to republish
this list of life-saving techniques- in its entirety.
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- ASSUME YOU'RE INVISIBLE
Because to a lot of drivers, you are. Never make
a move based on the assumption that another driver sees you, even
if you've just made eye contact.
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- BEWARE OF CARS RUNNING TRAFFIC LIGHTS
The first few seconds aftera signal light changes
are the most perilous. Look both ways before barging into an intersection.
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- BE CONSIDERATE
The consequences of strafing the jerk du jour or
cutting him off start out bad and get worse. Pretend it was your granma
and think again.
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- DRESS FOR THE CRASH, NOT THE POOL OR THE PROM
Sure, Joaquin's Fish Tacos is a five-minute trip,
but nobody plans to eat pavement. Modern mesh gear means 100-degree
heat is no excuse for a T-shirt and board shorts.
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- MIND THE GAP
Remeber driver's ed.? One second's worth of distance
per 10 MPH is the old rule of thumb. Better still, scan the next 12
seconds ahead for potential trouble.
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- HOPE FOR THE BEST, PREPARE FOR THE WORST
Assume that car across the intersection will turn
across you bow when the light goes green, with or without a turn signal.
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- BEWARE OF TUNER CARS
They're quick, and their drivers tend to be young
and aggressive, therefore potentially hazardous.
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- LEAVE YOUR EGO AT HOME
The only people who really care if you were faster
on the freeway will be the officer and the judge.
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- EXCESSIVE ENTRANCE SPEED HURTS
It's the leading cause of single-bike accidents
on twisty roads-- some cruisers can make unheard of amounts of power.
Use it on the way out of a corner, not in.
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- PAY ATTENTION
The only people who really care if you were faster
on the freeway will be the officer and the judge.
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- DON'T TRUST THAT DEER WHISTLE
Ungulates and other feral beasts prowl at dawn
and dusk, so heed those big yellow signs. If you're riding in a target-rich
environment, slow down and watch the shoulders.
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- MIRRORS ONLY SHOW YOU PART OF THE PICTURE
Never change direction without turning your head
to make sure the coast really is clear.
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- LEARN TO USE BOTH BRAKES
The front does most of your stopping, but for a
lot of heavy cruisers a little extra rear brake can really help haul
you up fast.
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- BE PATIENT
Always take another second or three before you
pull out to pass, ride away from a curb or merge into freeway traffic
from an on-ramp. It's what you don't see that gets you. The extra
look could save your butt.
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- KEEP THE FRONT BRAKE COVERED--ALWAYS
Save
a single second of reaction time at 60 MPH and yo can stop 88 feet
shorter. Think about that.
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- WATCH YOUR CLOSING SPEED
Passing cars at twice their speed or changing lanes
to shoot past a row of stopped cars is just asking for trouble.
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- LOOK WHERE YOU WANT TO GO
Use the miracle of target fixation to your advantage.
The motorcycle goes where you look, so focus on the solution instead
of the problem.
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- BEWARE THE VERGE AND THE MERGE
A lot of nasty surprises end up on the sides of
the road: emptyMcDonalds bags, nails, TV antennas, ladders, you name
it. Watch for potentially troublesome debris on both sides of the
road.
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- KEEP YOUR EYES MOVING
Traffic is always shifting, so keep scanning for
potential trouble. Don't lock your eyes on any one thing for too long
unless you're actually dealing with trouble.
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- LEFT-TURNING CARS REMAIN THE LEADING KILLER OF MOTORCYCLISTS
Don't assume someone will wait for you to dart
through the intersection. They're trying to beat the light too.
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- COME TO A FULL STOP AT THE NEXT STOP SIGN
Put a foot down. Look again. Anything less forces
a snap decision with no time to spot potential trouble.
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- THINK BEFORE YOU ACT
Careful whipping around that Cary going 7 MPH in
a 25 MPH zone or you could end up with your head in the drivers side
when he turns in front of you.
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