NORTON Commando 961 - 2ride.ca Motorcycle Magazine

this was no accident and nor is
any collision on our roadways.
It’s time people start calling
things what they really are. this
was a ‘crash’ or a ‘collision’. not an accident.
What’s the difference you ask? an
‘accident’ is something that is unavoidable
and unforeseen. Collisions or crashes aRe
predictable and therefore avoidable.
When we go out on our roads, there
is always a chance of being involved in
a crash. Lets face it…it happens several
times a day. although…if they happen
everyday, they are predictable. so how
do you avoid them? Well for starters pay
attention to your surroundings and road
conditions. By keeping a careful watch on
the vehicles around you, you are more able
to spot certain behaviours that may lead to
trouble. It only takes one person to not pay
attention to create the conditions for a collision.
However, it only takes one person
who is paying attention to recognise those
developing conditions and avoid them entirely.
It’s a simple thing called ‘situational
awareness’ but it’s something that is sorely
lacking on our roads - especially among car
drivers. the most attentive road users are
motorcyclists and professional truck drivers.
Both know full well that they must be
well aware of everything going on around
them and plan well ahead while navigating
NoT an Accident
stORY BY sHAuN De JAGeR- FOuNDeR OF ROAD AWAReNess
pHOtOGRApH COuRtesY OF tIM BuRROWs
our dangerous roadways.
so what’s wrong with the term ‘accident’?
We’ve been calling it that for
decade’s right? Yes we have but it’s the
wrong term to use because every crash on
our roads is in fact avoidable and there is
always someone responsible for it. Crashes
as a result of drinking and driving are
avoidable. Crashes that are a result of
careless or distracted driving are avoidable.
even crashes that occur because of
mechanical failures are avoidable (check
your tire pressures, brakes, etc. basically
make sure that your vehicle is mechanically
sound and your wheels won’t fall off).
My biggest issue with the term ‘accident’
is that it seems to absolve a person’s sense
of accountability for what happened – even
when deemed at fault. a fellow tells his
friend “Oh I had an accident yesterday”
and his friend replies “It’s ok…it was an
accident. You couldn’t avoid it. It happens
so don’t worry about it.” this is such
a poor attitude to take. Yes you probably
could have avoided it had you paid more
attention to your surroundings. Why are
collisions acceptable? they shouldn’t be
acceptable at all but we blow them off
because we call them accidents – it was
unavoidable. I didn’t do anything wrong!
Maybe…but there’s always more that you
could have done ‘right’ to have avoided
it altogether.
“the guy ran a red light and t-Boned
me!” sure…ok…but you were making a
left hand turn, so it’s your responsibility
to ensure that you can make that turn
safely. It’s not the red light that stops a
car at an intersection; it’s the driver of
the car approaching it. You are assuming
that other driver is paying attention to the
lights. You are ultimately responsible for
what happens to you on our roads. If that
car approaching the red light isn’t slowing
down fast enough…assume that he won’t
stop at all. If you don’t have a clear view of
on-coming traffic…don’t risk making that
turn until you do.
this is just one example but I could go
on and on with other situations that could
result in a collision and how to avoid them
just by paying more attention and making
alternate assumptions. If I can – so can
you. therefore crashes on our roads are
nOt accidents – they are avoidable. there
is almost always a shared responsibility
for what happens regardless of who is
found at fault by either the police or your
insurance company.
If you want to reduce your chance of
being in a ‘collision’, pay more attention to
your surroundings and road conditions and
get some advanced driver training. those
added skills could save your life.
What are you thinking?
By SID RoChWERG
We’ve all heard how most accidents
happen close to home. It’s been written
that 1/3 of all accidents occur within a
kilometer of your home. If you think
about it, it’s not surprising since you
would travel on your own street and
neighborhood more than any other.
As I reflected on this common statistic
it really led me to the subject of this
article. What are you thinking about
when riding? When you get closer to
home what are your thoughts? I find
when I get close to home my mind sees
myself already walking in the door,
planning what I’m going to do next,
heading to the computer to check email.
Wait…I’m still on my motorcycle, I’m
not home yet! I still need to be focused
on my riding and watching out for other
drivers and hazards along my path.
What are you thinking about when
you’re riding? What are your thoughts
focused on when you’re riding? are
you thinking about the road ahead, the
driver turning left with the sun in their
eyes, the right turn with the obstructed
view, the kids kicking the ball on the
lawn?
do you ride to work every day when
the weather permits? For office workers
business casual dress and jeans days on
Fridays or over the summer has made
it easier to ride to work in proper safer
clothing without the hassle of changing
attire upon arrival.
Is it really safe or smart to ride to work
every day?
If I rode to work all the time, riding
would no longer be special. and if it’s
not special then it is routine. and if it
is routine then I am not as focused on
my riding as I should be. When on my
motorcycle would I be thinking about
work, rushing to a meeting, reviewing
in my head the strategy for a critical
situation? When riding back home
would I be rushing? Would I be thinking
about that last hallway conversation
rather than focusing on my riding?
every time I ride my motorcycle is
special. It’s exactly where I want to be at
that moment in time. I want my riding to
have my full attention and respect. this
kind of concentration is not always easy.
With our complicated lives distractions
are everywhere. so, to ride safely we
must minimize the distractions so we
can stay focused on what we are doing.
should a heavy equipment operator
be distracted? How about a lone pilot
or explosives expert? I hope you get
the idea. distractions are great when
you’re bored. they’re deadly when
you’re performing a task that needs your
undivided attention.
the most dangerous distraction,
however, is you. Letting your mind
wander creates the distraction. When
we start to focus on the problems
at work or at home the anxiety will
change our behavior immediately.
You might find yourself hurrying
home or becoming a participant in
road rage. I appreciate that some may
have purchased a motorcycle not for
recreation but for basic transportation
or perhaps both. and I’m really not
suggesting that you don’t ride everyday
if given the opportunity. What I am
saying is to check where your head is at.
When you hit that starter button and get
the thrill of the motor firing up, make
sure you’ve parked your distractions
away. So, just figuratively roll them into
a ball and put them in your knap sack
or saddle bag before riding away. When
you get home you can take them out
again and deal with them.
I once attended a seminar where, at
the start, they had everyone write down
on a piece of paper what was currently
on their minds and perhaps distracting
them. then we were asked to fold up
the paper and tape it on a flip chart at
the front of the room within a diagram
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sept/OCt 2010 [58] sept/OCt 2010 [59]
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