Defensive Driving on a Motorcycle

My young daughter called last night, shaken about some driving mishaps she had last night, and fearful to get back on the road.  One of them was a car running a red light when she was crossing on green and the car almost t-boned hers before it could stop itself.  The other was on the interstate home, a semi truck ran her off the road, where she sat stuck in the snow in tears, until a good Samaritan stopped to help her get her car back on the road.
This reminded me of the good defensive driving that I have learned since riding my own Harley Davidson.  There are several things I now do when driving my car as well, that keep me safer, just because I have learned them for the motorcycle.

• Intersections:  Always be watchful.  Never take a green light for granted.  Watch drivers faces - do they see you?  Watch their wheels - are they turned as if they are going to make a turn into you (sometimes turn signals are not reliable)?  Make sure cars coming to their red light on the cross street are really slowing down before running yourself into that intersection.  Are you in a blind spot to someone else in the intersection - perhaps to the left or right of a bigger vehicle blocking other cars from seeing you.  Intersections can be deadly to a biker.. slow down and be especially watchful.
• On highways:  If I find myself in the blind spot of a car or truck, I quickly move either far enough behind or in front of them so that there sudden lane change doesn't box me into a dangerous situation.  Interstate accidents at high speeds can also be deadly to us- we don't win a battle with a car or especially a truck.  I also try to stay to the left, to avoid cars merging onto the interstate.  There have been too many times that those drivers seem to think they can have the lane I am in, as if it is their right.  So I am alert at those on ramps.  Staying in the left lane not only gives me an excuse to go a little faster (love that!) but also usually gives me a safe shoulder to escape on if need be.
• Rain for a biker is like snow for a driver.  It can be a little slick, so I am mindful of road conditions.  It is usually slickest when the rain has just started falling and the road is just getting a bit of water mixed with the oil and grime.  If I can pull off the road for a few minutes (usually to change into more appropriate gear), then that gives the street a bit more time to wash away the top layer of muck and is a bit safer for riding.

Basically I drive my motorcycle as if no one sees me, and I stay well out of  their way, always watching others and doing my best to anticipate trouble before it happens.  Being mentally alert and incredibly relaxed at the same time is part of the thrill of the ride!

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