I was nearly rear ended many years ago when I had a 650 twin with a side car. I was stationery on the A13, some 100metres down from a small hill. I was keeping my eye on the rear view mirrors when a car came over the hill very fast. So I turn and drove onto the grass verge a few seconds later that car smashed into the car that was in front of me. I was very lucky.

I was rear ended in December, I'm now much more cautious when slowing down and keeping my distance. I liked the tip about keeping your brake light on at traffic lights, never thought of that!

Spot on advice, and holds good whether on two wheels or four.

I always look forward to your sage advice no matter how long I have been riding. You sir, rock!

Straightforward and simply put as ever Russ, you were put on this earth to teach us on how to ride safely. Most of the things you say i try to do and dragging the brake on moving off is something i had never thought of yet its so simple a thing to do. Thanks

Your comments are spot on mate unless you've got cat like reflexes and your sitting there you'll get crunched,like you I've been flashing the brake light for as many years as I can remember and it really does work, fortunately for me filtering has been made legal in Melbourne where I live so I will do that now whenever possible and safe to do so.

Absolutely spot on mate. There is a lot of phsycology involved in safety eh? It's instructors like you that keep bikers alive. My instructor was very much like you and it's his training that has saved my arse in past.

I really appreciate these kind of videos, they definitely help improving my riding skills, thanks for these lessons!

I´ve been ridding now for 5 years give or take. I can say I learned how to ride with you. I´ve been doing this "flash light breaking" forever, and revisiting this video I realised/remembered how I learned it... I think you might have saved me a couple of times. Thanks!!

great video as usual, keep them coming please!

Excellent advice! The voice of years of experience. :)

Sound advice Russ. Many thanks for this upload.

good to see you back russ

Excellent comments here mate. It's all common-sense really, but it's actually taken the pressure of my thinking proses to be honest. I've never really got this whole "escape rout" thing. And I just think sitting to the far side of the lane you're in "just in case" is far more dangerous then sitting centre lane. Distance and awareness is key! Thanks a lot mate.

~I have a second brake light installed. Its a red flashing strobe, the kind a police or emergency responded would have! Its is VERY bright and noticeable from a long way off. At stop lights the vehicles keep back along way now, I think due to either is intense flashing or its brilliance. As Russ suggested I will tap my rear brake to give a 'close follower' the heads up that I am or will be slowing. Sometimes I feel like I spend too much time looking back....I also leave a ton of space between me the the vehicle in front, that way I have plenty of options depending on whats happening around me. Yesterday it was a few trash bags with garbage all over! Great to have the videos back Russ. Thank you!

I find your videos very interesting. As I rode motorcycles for over 35 years myself. And the older you get the more wiser you are. I only just subscribe to these videos only 3 days ago

excellent guidance. I'm so glad I found and sub'd. really dig ur vids. my MSF instructor claimed he avoided an ender by keeping his clutch squeezed and bike in 1st at a stop. but, yes..never seen a vid.

Great video and advice :) I've been hit up the arse twice in my riding life (touching wood for not a third). The most recent was on new years day this year. I was slowing for a left turn at a junction while the road was bending right, I had a green light, had done my checks, then heard and saw a Paramedic car coming into the junction from the right. I slowed, but the car behind me didn't, so I got hit. I wouldn't have escaped being hit, I knew it was coming but I had nowhere to go. What I did manage to do was get the bike up straight just before impact which stopped me being knocked off. It was all dealt with nicely and the Paramedic even cancelled his call to make sure I was okay and to take details as I was quite shaken up.

Good, well thought-out advice as usual Russ

I heard that it's good to stay to one side when stopped so that you're less likely to be crushed in between the car in front, you're more likely that you'll be pushed to one side instead. And strangely I've also seen the video with the overtaking truck xP

@memoriam1868

3 жыл бұрын

Also this will ensure that the car in front can see you in the wing mirror

Russ I watched all your videos this time last year and now with 15000 miles, 3 bikes and IAM ready, I am revisiting all your excellent advice and I am pleased to find that I am not the only one who thinks the idea of 'escape routes' futile.

@RoadcraftNottingham

4 жыл бұрын

Yep. By the time you've realised he's gonna hit you it's WAYYYY too late. Most rear enders happen through the vehicle in front late braking (no stats but personal experience)

Excellent advice. I was once lightly rear ended by a lorry and since then I leave space in front and watch my mirrors. Occasionally a vehicle gets uncomfortably close and I shuffle forward just a bit. I don't know whether I've actually avoided anything this way, but it's certainly better than being oblivious.

Good stuff. Thank you, sir.

Good video with some wisdom. Thanks and ride safe everybody!

Pretty good advice about flashing your brake light I did it for years when stopping but since filtering is legal now where I live I do that instead which is probably the safest option of all when done correctly.

My own experience was quite a few years ago when I had to brake on a wet road for a van in front of me who had to brake rapidly himself to avoid a vehicle who had cut him up. I stopped with no drama whatsoever with plenty of space to use if I needed to (perhaps 3 or 4 metres spare) the next thing I knew I heard the sound of a revved up engine as a car came speeding out of a side road to my right, behind me, followed by the almost inevitable sound of his wheels locking as he encountered the queue of traffic behind the van in front of me. He slid for a good few seconds before I felt the impact thinking "this is going to hurt!" as I was shunted while sprawled over my bike rapidly toward the rear of the van in front. When everything came to a halt I was left, still sprawled over my bike, beneath the rear of the van, my face inches away from the hot exhaust, feeling the heat, and was left there whilst the van driver and the driver of the car that hit me peered underneath the van looking for signs of life calling "you OK under there?" My colourful reply left them in no doubt that I was very much alive and wanting to get out! In spite of this they still stood there like a pair of idiots until I (im)politely mentioned that if the car that hit me could reverse up a couple of meters then I could get out. Why they didn't think of this was beyond me but he had just rammed me under the van so I guessed this was to be expected.. I emerged uninjured but my bike was going nowhere for quite some time and this plus the thought of spending another winter on London's crowded roads ended my career as a courier. The car that hit me was a company car who's insurers said the driver was liable for any payout (What???) consequently, I got nothing but a broken bike and a large repair bill which despite the drivers assurances, he never paid. There was no escape route that I could have taken to avoid this as I was trying to avoid getting into an accident myself at the time. I was in the outside lane of a dual carriageway with stationary traffic all around with nowhere to go except under the van in front!!

I think your criticism of the "escape route" is a bit silly. It's not something recommended in isolation but in conjunction with the other points you mentioned in the video. I completely agree with all your points about flashing brake lights, keeping the brake light on, allowing a sufficient following distance. and stopping sufficiently far away from the vehicle in front. But I also position myself on one of the sides of the lane for an escape route, it's much better than being plum in the middle and turning into a pancake. Also at a traffic light, it is better to stay in first gear with the clutch pulled in and the right foot on the brake so we can get out if needed. If we are positioned on one side of the lane, someone squeezing in beside us is not so much of a problem than being rear-ended.

@RoadcraftNottingham

8 жыл бұрын

+motonut My point here is if a car is going to rear end you the only time you'll know is when you hear the screech. Whether you're in gear or neutral, it's too late to do anything. It's not "reasonable" to assume this will happen whilst stopped unless you've taken appropriate rear observation on approach to the hazard, in that case, planning ahead has saved you, not being in gear or offside in that lane. .

@shreedevi2005

8 жыл бұрын

You gave a couple of examples. In think one was coming up to a roundabout. That's a situation where an 'escape route' is probably not relevant due to space limitations and the best that can done is to flash brake light, keep following distance etc., as you explained. Sitting at a red light, especially when there is no vehicle stopped behind the rider, is the situation when staying in gear, positioning in the lane, and an escape route is important IMHO because as you come to a stop, you scan the mirror and continue to scan while stopped. I remember watching a KZread video where a rider saved himself from a rear end collision while waiting at a red light. I'll try and find it and put the link in.

@RoadcraftNottingham

8 жыл бұрын

That'd be helpful if you could. If you're first in the queue at lights and a car IS gonna rear end you, the only option then would be to pull out into crossing traffic IF you have time to analyze that he's gonna hit you then you do something about it which I doubt in general. Sometimes it's just your time and I still feel that scenario is "overthought" but each to their own. Thanks for putting your point forward though, respect to you.

@shreedevi2005

8 жыл бұрын

+RoadcraftNottingham I agree there are many, many, IFs in all this reasoning. The best laid plans of mice and motorcyclists... :-)

@3248934

8 жыл бұрын

+RoadcraftNottingham You are assuming that when you hear it it's too late, it is not. Sometimes you have time to get out of the way. Unless they are going 60mph in which case you will not have time and you will probably die. Keeping one eye on your mirror is probably the best option here.

I've been considering installing a flashing unit for my brakes. Also, another thing to consider about lane positioning, is that if you are off to the side rather than stopped directly behind the vehicle in front of you, even if you did get hit from behind, you have a much better chance of not being crushed between the two.

Another great video! I just kept thinking that one of the main things you could do (as one should always already do) is be visible. Wearing a fluorescent vest and bright helmet makes you much easier to notice and grabs other driver's attention.

Great advice, many thanks

Great information. Just stumbled on your channel. I did manage to avoid being rear ended. I was stopped at a T junction, waiting to turn right away from the through road. While waiting for a break in the traffic, I noticed a van approaching behind me. The van seemed not to be slowing down. I had a gut feeling that the driver wasn't paying attention. At that point, my bike was facing forward, and in gear. I 'launched' forward and kept going ,not turning as planned. As I did the van driver must have heard me, I had a KTM 1290, not a quiet bike. I then heard the Van brake hard and notice the van had twisted sideways slightly. It was the only time it happened to me, and I'm sure that I was lucky also. Though my action to blast off was definitely a wise one. There are no hard and fast rules I guess. Luck plays a big game. Ride safe, and thank you for your great videos. Just stumbled across them today

@RoadcraftNottingham

7 ай бұрын

Well done, on a very rare, rear ender occasion you happened to be switched on enough to be paying attention behind. Impressive, and thanks for the sub. 🙂

Thanks for the tips

Great advice as always Russ. I have wondered about the whole escape route thing. It makes sense to have one, but like you say, not likely you can pull off from a stand still in time to get out of the way. I've seen it a few times where a rider has positioned wide, and wonders why a car moves into the gap on their left. It's better to stay central and leave a decent enough gap to move forwards into if needed.

That's so makes sense. Never did understand how an escape route would work if you were stationary or barely moving!

Some really useful points about the brake light there.

now that's a proper motorcycle you're riding. Great tips too

awsome vlog!!

Thanks for another great video.

@RoadcraftNottingham

4 жыл бұрын

You're welcome

As always very good advice m8 ; ) I try to keep at least a 4 second space in front, 2 for me & 2 for the person behind, incase their following too close, which allows for gradual slowing down at junctions.

I do agree with you Russ, I would think sitting to one side or another would just mean drivers would come alongside. I have actually avoided a rear ender by going alongside the car in front but that was from the middle of the lane and only was possible because I had left enough room between me and the car in front to easily manoeuvre out of the way - so it was actually not from sitting to one side. I just noticed the person coming too quick early enough to do something about it. They did have to brake hard to stop in time and not hit the car but the extra room I had left in front actually helped them in that regard. Nice ideas regarding the use of brake lights - I'll remember those, thanks mate :)

100% agree with you on this subject 👏 I keep my brakelight on as I'm pulling away and I often see people behind are watch my brakelight and not the bike as they usually don't move for a few seconds after I've gone 👍 also I avoid coming to a complete stop unless I real have no choice

Nice VFR! I use my 1986 as my instructor bike. Ol' girl is happy to spend all day, everyday riding! :)

Thank you for your advices, it's a pleasure listening to someone with your experience. Have you the means to review the yamaha mt07?

From personal experience i find that tapping brakes to flash the brake lights usually doesnt really help against tailgaiters. Most of the time they dont even realise that they are doing it. Usually i just turn around and wave my hand (palm vertical 'pushing' away from me) to signal that they are too close and should give a bit of distance. 95% of the time this works. Also, i generally find that if someone tailgates and you start creating more distance between yourself and the car in front of you, the person behind you will generally keep more distance himself as well.

@RoadcraftNottingham

8 жыл бұрын

I was more referring to braking as opposed to tailgating. I do the same as you and when they hang back I put my hand up to thank them

@tHaH4x0r

8 жыл бұрын

+RoadcraftNottingham Ah i see, i thought you meant brake checking to create more distance between yourself and the car behind. Since that will also lessen the chances of rear enders (since statistically most rear enders result from tailgating anyways).

@johnchoi6758

8 жыл бұрын

+tHaH4x0r So what do you do the other 5% of the time?

@tHaH4x0r

8 жыл бұрын

+John Choi Tap the brake lights. If that still does not do anything i will try and talk to them at the next traffic lights, explaining them that they are tailgaiting and that that is extremely dangerous for motorcyclists in particular. This is of course assuming that he does not do it on purpose (or at least is not road raging). I have never had anyone tailgate on purpose, and i would not know how to handle that situation. I guess i would either try to overtake the person in front and get away from that dangerous person or let him pass to protect myself. Kind of depends on the situation.

@babarfirasat

7 жыл бұрын

I have done the hand thing twice in my life and both times the drivers have gotten mad. The first time, some chavs threw their beers and drinks at me while I was riding. Their conducts were appalling. Since then I just dont do anything even though cars tailgating me makes me very uncomfortable.

You're exactly right. In 35 years of riding and 24 as a motorcycle instructor I've never been "rear ended" and only once avoided from from being so. Traffic lights were changing down to red and I was braking but the artic behind me wasn't went through on red. No "escape route " apart from straight on. :)

@RoadcraftNottingham

8 жыл бұрын

Nice to hear the views of another instructor Carl. Riding plans based on what may "REASONABLY" Be expected to happen. I feel if you wanna guarantee being safe, put your side stand down and wait on the pavement. (sods law you'll be mugged or is that "unreasonable"?) 😉

Good point, I always keep my distance. It does encourage people overtaking you sometimes but in general you don't lose any time when you filter when possible. And it is really worth it considering it might maybe slow you down 1 or 2 minutes on your commute.

@VengHunterz

8 жыл бұрын

+Jochem Kuijpers True I just find that people always overtake when they shouldn't (upcoming traffic or road islands ahead)

it was nice to hear your suggestions + reading the comment section. here's how i try to survive: 1, i'm between the queues (filtering) whenever i can or stay on the outside of the lane. always leave at least 100-150cm between me and the vehicule in front of me. 2, if i'm the first at an intersection or red light, i'm in the middle of the lane and check my mirrors at least as often as i check the trafficlamp/oncoming traffic. whenever i spot someone in the mirror approaching me, i flash the brakelight a few times until i see that person starting to slow down. 3, i often flash the brakelight and then wave with my left hand to the tailgaters to see if they're donkeys or just don't even realize they are too close. if they realize and stay away, then i thank them. if not, then decide to either let them go or accelerate and put a "peaceful" car behind me and them. 4, (this should be on the top of my list) i always plan well ahead to avoid sitting/traveling closely behind someone and remember the "characters" i took over to (for some extent) know what to "expect from the driver coming behind me" (like: was he surprised when i took over, did he expect me to take over, lane discipline, any hat/wig on the driver, phone in the hands, children crying/playing on the back seat, etc...) 5, i often flash my brakelights 5-6 seconds before actually starting to slow down to give time for the driver behind me to wake up and realize what's happening ahead. ... and after the first time i'll be rear ended: 6, when stopped, i'll keep the bike in 1st gear, prepared for an escape as fast as possible and would keep one eye on the mirrors all the time.

As a returning rider after a long (20+ years brake) I recently attended an ACC sponsored 'Ride Forever Bronze" training day down here in NZ... for anyone local, great value $20 NZ for a full day in a small group and there are silver and gold courses to follow as you build skill! And thanks Roadcraft I've gained heaps from watching these vids and I do (really) often find myself thinking about what you've said - esp in relation to road position and risk. I've listened to all sides of the debate here and taken some time before chipping in my 2 cents. Probably I'm going to continue to 'take the centre position' usually about 3 bike lengths back as I personally 'feel' that allows me sufficient space to do something (in terms of moving) if I hear a screech behind me... even if I can't react quickly enough to roll a few metres forward and to one side at least it's that amount of further space during which the other vehicle (assuming at least that it IS braking' can travel before crushing me ( assuming the impact under the rear doesn't lift the rear of the bike and throw me forward ) As Motonut and other's have said 'there's a lot of variables (ifs) in every accident scenario! 3 bike lengths seems enough to discourage car drivers from trying to 'filter in' from left or right into MY PIECE OF ROAD (something else you said on another vid) Yet, when I placed myself in the mindset of a not too observant car driver who suddenly realises the need to stop - well, they too might be looking for 'an escape route' and if I'm in the middle I have oddly enough both at the same time minimised and maximised their options. IF I'd gone 'position 1 at the left' of the lane they have an option to steer right to try into a bigger space and avoid me IF I'd gone Position 3 at the right ... they could hope to steer left into a bigger space in that effort ? Yet, from observation over a few decades of vehicle recovery works most rear end collisions that I've seen (other than at angled junctions or at roundabout entrances) seem to be mostly more or less square front onto squared back suggesting there's little or no last minute steering input? The other thing I'd like to add, and ask opinion on, is what my son calls his 'safety wobble' ... actually it's more of a weave or a zigzag and the goal is 'draw attention to fact of his existence on the road' when he feels a following vehicle is too close. As with 'tapping brake lights' it's effectively 'attention seeking' that's to say creating a change by providing movement in that driver's field of vision and usually the first response is that the other driver seems to slack off momentarily and provide the wanted space.

I agree absolutely with your advice. I’ve exchanged comments on this topic with motorcycle training channels based in the USA. There, learners are taught to sit at red lights with the clutch lever held in and in first gear. The reasoning is that they can make a quick getaway into an “escape zone” if they see in their mirrors that someone is about to rear-end them. As you say, you would need cat-like reflexes and to be a MotoGP rider in order to accelerate away from a stop quickly enough to evade a vehicle approaching at speed from the rear. I’m also mystified by where these escape zones might be, since moving forward at a red light is simply going to put you into crossing traffic. Much better to hold the rear brake, which will warn drivers to the rear and also maybe prevent you being pushed forward in a low speed shunt (which has happened to me). And of course, holding the clutch in for long periods at a red light is very tiring for your left hand. The risk is that your hand may slip, especially in cold and/or wet conditions. So congratulations in bringing some common sense to this problem. Cheers and keep safe.

@RoadcraftNottingham

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Charles, I have great problems with KZread "instructors" basically repeating what a more popular/louder KZreadr has said without thinking it through themselves but there's unfortunately nothing I can do about mass idiot-steria. ☺

Hi Russ, I thought I'd feedback to you that when approaching stationary traffic I am now flashing my brake lights as well as when being at the end of the queue and traffic is approaching from behind. It's already made one following motorist back off as I approached a red light which I suspect they had not noticed. Keep the great advice coming!

Great advice Russ :)

Thanks, sounds very good advice and I’ll try to remember to do that. I had a very near escape the other day when I went round a sharp downhill corner on a narrow road only to find a van stopped just after the bend started. Luckily as I haven’t ridden for a long time I was going extremely slowly so stopped well in time but I was really worried someone was going to rear end me. It got worse when the van in front started reversing to let another van through. 😱. I couldn’t move as I was on a hill and now there was no room to move anywhere. Luckily a few good sounds of my horn and the van stopped a foot away from me. Thought I was going to be a meat sandwich for a minute there. 😖

More nice and simple words of wisdom. Shame I don't live in Nottingham as I'm looking at doing lessons for my big boy licence.

Thoughts on gadgets that flash your brake lights while non-braking deceleration? Maybe to answer my own question: The first time I followed a bike with this feature, the flashing brake lights confused me somewhat. Loving the videos, thanks

Before watching the video, what I usually do is keep my bike in gear at the lights until the car behind you has stopped. It just gives you that extra second or two it could take for you to get out the way as opposed to you having to put it in gear if you were sitting in neutral. Another good way is before you are stopping, just tap your brakes real quick so you can show them you intend on slowing down and stopping. My instructor taught me both these things and even though they seem like common sense, I was surprised I didn't think of none of them until they were pointed out to me. Edit: Watched the video, glad to see I got at least one of them right lol. When I go out riding, I usually judge my ride on how smooth the whole thing was, whether or not I made mistakes, caused another road user to slow down, or if there was anything I could've done differently. It really helps with my riding and it just goes to show you can have the best times on a bike without speeding or being dangerous. Although sometimes you can see how tempting it is to open up on a straight road with no traffic in front of you - though I suppose one's self-control is the difference here between a smart and dangerous rider.

Great video Russ - could you consider doing a video on how to deal with road rage from a bikers point of view? Had it happen to me a few days ago and would have been helpful to know roughly what to do!

Really good advice but I'd much rather be to one side of a car instead of the centre as I'm less likely to sustain more injuries then if I was in the centre. I'm also yet to see someone avoiding a rear ender too. I saw one video where a bloke was stopped with plenty of space to the car in front and he was rear ended when the car behind him creeped forward. He obviously wasn't looking at his mirrors but if he was positioned to one side a little more the effect could have been less severe. But hey it really depends on the situation, filtering is not legal in certain countries so people only have limited options. But you're the instructor I'm just speaking what I've found works for me. I've nearly been rear ended, the video is on my channel and I tapped my lights but the bloke still didn't see me. If I was positioned to one side I may have avoided it but most people don't avoid stuff like this as they freeze up in fear like I did.

Heyup,Good tip 're having brake light on before setting off, I watch lots of your videos for this reason ie even experienced riders can still learn something new.

@RoadcraftNottingham

7 ай бұрын

Thanks Paul, that's what I'm here for. 😀

I agree with what you're saying and particularly about if you brake suddenly. A few years ago I was running my daughter to school and there was a left turn coming up and for whatever reason everyone broke hard in front of me. I pulled up, not even braking hard and in my rear view I could see the guy behind was not slowing so I moved the bike over to the left onto the white lines (Spain, we drive on the right) and bang, he went right past me about 6 inches away and rammed straight into the car in front. Like you I also flash my brake lights if someone is creeping up on me as they likely haven't even realised how close they are and that works a treat. As for stopping one side or the other... I do not stop so far over that a car can pull alongside but I make sure I stop to the left and right in front of the driver so they cannot say they can't see me and I also make sure the driver in front can see me in their mirror as more than once I have had a driver hit reverse and almost hit me even though I leave plenty of room. I do this since I was rear ended at a roundabout as I was on the right hand side of the lane and the guy behind me simply did not check and rear ended me thinking I had entered the roundabout.

@RoadcraftNottingham

7 ай бұрын

Well done for being so switched on. On your occasion, it was the cars late braking in front that made you adopt a plan, ready to escape. Under normal traffic lights situations, it isn't "reasonable" to expect to be rear ended, usually something leads up to it, like in your case. I also sometimes position slightly outside to allow people to see me, but don't call it an escape route like some do as there's nothing they can do as they're not paying attention usually. I'm normally about a car length away from the vehicle in front anyway, so I'm not trapped if something goes wrong. Thanks for your comment and it's nice to hear of someone correctly anticipating a situation.

I was living in Sparks, Nevada (5 years out of my 60 years so far of life) when I was commuting home on a road with two lanes on my side and a divider in the middle separating the on coming traffic. A cop pulled off the side of the road and made the 40 mph commute traffic come to a scretching halt. There was a Harley Electra Glide behind the car behind me. We all stopped except for the car behind the Harley. Literally, I had a Harley fly over my right rear fender!!! The HD was hit from behind and was launced 10 feet into the air!!! Had of the HD been in CA (where I now live again), the HD could have "felt" the traffic coming to a scretching halt and "split" lanes (filtering in your area) to "ensure" he was not going to be hit (better safe than "Airborne")... Hard stops where traffic is slamming on their brakes requires some thought. I lane split "filter" when that condition comes about. The only state in America that allows "land splitting" or "filtering" is California. Nevada's law, in my opinion, helped kill that pour HD rider (he went into the windshield of the car that hit him). Panic stops requires filtering. I have been riding since 1974 and have yet to be hit from behind because I move to the side and lane split in hard braking situations. And yes, I have had a couple of cars hit the bumper of the car beside me when I split lanes! That would have been me if I stayed in the lane. BTW, I split lanes in any state I ride in because no government law is going to force me to get killed. I will not obey laws that can kill me!

@jughlone7459

8 жыл бұрын

dam thats full on , are u always in a situation to lane split in hard braking situations ? what if ur not

@ababbit7461

8 жыл бұрын

Jugh Lone In hard braking situations on a multi-lane road = yes. On a two lane road with one lane being "on coming" traffic, you head for the shoulder of the road and keep rolling, do not stop because the car behind you will do the same in many situations. If you stop, you will be hit by the car that "followed" you to the shoulder. Remember, the car behind you is doing the "look where you want to go" and they are looking at the back of you so they will be coming your way! To me personally, lane splitting is a life saver and I have used it a bunch of times under hard braking in my 42 years and over 500,000 miles of motorcycle riding time in the saddle. Oh and how many times have I been hit? Zero. How many accidents? Zero. Have I dumped my bikes? Yes, once doing a U-turn with a friend on back who jumped off in the middle of the U-turn! And once, I hit water on the road at a stop sign when taking off from that stop sign, my rear tire slipped out and I "chopped the throttle" closed (instead of keeping the throttle on) which made me high side. Both accidents happen in my first year of riding. No accidents or drops since 1975.... Started riding Feb, 1974. Take care brother.

@jughlone7459

8 жыл бұрын

Sorry if i do not understand , i am only a rookie trying to get onto my first bike so am paying alot of attention to safety as i know you can be the best driver but if other people dont drive to your level you can still end up getting in trouble , so i want to master the surviving other motorists as well as all the dangers the environment has to offer. I am just confused on 1 point , i thought the shoulder of the road is mostly on motorways so if i was on a road thats not a motorway , with two lanes and one being the one with on coming traffic how would i manage ur manuever if there is no shoulder , also what would i do on a oneway road ( do these generally have shoulders ? ) Lastly isnt it illegal to ride on the shoulder like that ? i thought it was just for emergencies , how have u managed to keep ur license and still ride to date when u dont follow the life endangering laws ?

@ababbit7461

8 жыл бұрын

Jugh Lone Do you know where the BLM wild horse holding pens are on the Pyramid Hwy north of Sparks? Yes? Ok, I rode my motorcycle on that long stretch at 190 mph on a Kawasaki ZX12R. The law says I can not do it and it is illegal, but being caught doing it is something else. So, if you come to a situation where you are going to be hit from behind and you can ride to the right on the shoulder of the lane (bike lane or just right of the white "fog line") do it or get hit.... Don't let the law dictate your life. If the law says "Don't do this" and if you don't do it, you get killed, then you are dead. If you disobey a law and live, then you are better off living than dying. So the law is a guideline to me, if I follow all laws, I would have to live in a bubble WITH the laws permission. So, if you come to a situation where you must break the law to live, then break it and if you want to speed, go up Pyramid Hwy and once you get to the BLM Wild Horse holding pens, you have 3 straight miles of road to "let it all hang out" on that part of the American People's roadway. Don't speed on your way to Nixon or the local Indians will cut your gonades off if they catch you.... ha, ha... You can also go up to Nixon and head north towards the Black Rock Desert and "let it all hang out" up there. Not many cops on those roads..... Have fun, but do it when you have learned how to ride well.

@jughlone7459

8 жыл бұрын

*_* U sir are beyond awesome man i cant wait till am a rider !!!! thanks for all ur help !

i had one where i was waiting at an island, giving way to traffic coming round, i had my brake light on so they knew behind i wasnt moving, yet still got rear ended by a land rover. like you say it's not very often that you could use the 'escape route' method. in fact i think it distracts you too much with what is happening ahead. very good topic to talk about tho Russ. Ride safe buddy

Good advice, people texting and looking at their phones seems to be replacing actually talking on them which as a motorcyclist really worries me as their eyes are looking down. I've just got myself a HI Viz waist belt cost 4 quid off eBay, I don't like wearing it but safety before vanity.

In almost 40 years of riding on the road, I've been rear-ended twice; once while coming to a stop at a mini-roundabout and once pulling away to turn left out of a T-junction. As you say, once you're stationary it's extremely rare. If I'm stationary and nothing is behind me, I may observe my mirror and flash my brake light if a car is approaching. As for position, that will be where ever I want to be for the situation ahead or where I stopped having given up my position for safety prior to stopping. If I'm likely to be waiting a long time, I sometimes switch my engine off so no escape strategy there lol.

Great points 😉

I'm from Thailand, we don't place our self at that escape point, it is very dangerous, most car driver would think that we are going to go through traffic splitting lane. It's safer to be in the center or just split through if it is wide enough to do. Getting rear ended is better than getting push off lane and buses or truck might ran you over. (road in Bangkok is very narrow, many road is impossible to split, so staying on middle is best, because you are more visible and left no doubt about split or not.)

I've never had rear end issues in over 30 years of riding though I do wait for the vehicle behind to stop before release the front brake (linked brakes so hand or foot works).When stopping though I tend to aim for the RH car tyre track (in Australia same as UK) as the centre can have oil patches not to forget any reflective (glass beads in paint) arrows in the lane centre. Can be extra slippery when wet so pays to avoid by staying either left or right of centre.I don't live in our state capital (Adelaide) and when we do go there (a few times a year) 3/4 of the time I have the trailer ( our shopping trolley) in tow and not the ideal combination for filtering so I really need to be aware of what's going on behind. Wide angle mirrors help with that as well.

I have in fact avoided being rear ended by having a planned escape route, and being on the ball. I do admit though that the circumstances involved were such that it absolutely was going to happen at that spot sooner or later. As it was, the car that was behind me hit the one that had been in front. I was at the side of the road by then and out of trouble. I am considering a brake light modulator to create a "flashing red" when I brake.

Great instruction/advice realistic person. Not this Hindsight shit you hear usually such as "you should of done this or that" you hear from some ppl on YT

Sage advice, I tend to employ engine braking coming towards slowing traffic and/or lights and flash the brakes just on the switching point of the lever and if I am stopped for any length of time I go neutral and declutch with the rear brake on. I try and habitually leave about two bike lengths or so to the car in front but one of my big annoyances of late is more and more people who seem to want to get close enough to climb in your top box when you are stopped at lights. "Tyres and tarmac" mustn't be taught any longer.

I was once stopped (at night) in a car, at some temporary traffic lights, on the A66 eastbound near Barnard Castle. The hill I was sitting at the bottom of was notable for having Durham police's fastest issued speeding ticket one year of 115mph ish. I saw a truck coming down the hill, still going fairly fast fairly late, so I flashed my hazards on a for a few seconds. It seemed to work.

I always have an escape plan an ejector seat!

good advice have you changed from the pan or is this just a test ride

I think that may have been my video (Are You Ready For This) where I was sat at lights for some road works down a quiet road at night. The truck was bearing down quite quickly behind me. My thoughts were that he didn't expect- or see - the temporary lights, so I was already in gear and moved over to the grass verge. There was no road to the right - it was just an opening into a yard. I didn't realise he was going to turn into it. I never saw him indicate and he took the turn quite fast. It did surprise me at the time. Anyway Russ, what were you riding and is the ST1100 gonna be back in service soon?

What's your opinion on brake light modulators, that make your lights blink/pulse instead of just staying on ?

I have avoided being rear ended in my car by pulling away down the side. I keep a gap and always study the mirrors whilst sitting at the back. When I see someone closing I’m ready to go. Maybe comes from my lorry driving days, but with a different twist. In the wagon I always left a reasonable gap between me and the car in front if I was last in a que - especially motorways - and waited with the air brakes on park. If rear ended by another wagon, our combined sliding will soak up some of the energy before hitting the next vehicle rather than if I was quite close to the car in front. Being rear ended whilst sitting as the tail end Charlie in motorway ques is incredibly common. My advice to drivers who finds themselves in front of a lorry or car in a motorway que at the back, especially in the fog. Position yourself within the lane but slightly at an angle and off to the kerb side a bit from the vehicle in front. Such that in an impact you stand a chance of being popped out sideways. Just my observations from driving artics, I’ve seen some horrid pileups. The first few cars after artics rear end are like flat folded cardboard boxes. The ones that survive popped out to one side.

Upload more often please :)

Roadcraft, i'm looking to buy a 2nd motorcycle. I've been riding a 250 dual sport (250 tenere) for more than 2 years and did about 15000 miles on it, but right now i think it lacks power(only 21bhp) . Do you think the 300's are good enough(for power and fun) or should i go to a used 650cc (like the er6n, or sfv 650 gladius) as a everyday bike?

I've learned the habit of tapping on the breaks even in my car.. Always gets a much better reaction from the oblivious folks in the rear.. But I do feel a bit safer standing on the sides behind a car, as other way I feel like I could be crushed in between two vehicles. I know it's unlikely to happen, but still.. Thus far, no-one has ever tried to squeeze next to me in my lane.. Also, I like to leave room for a possible fellow rider who would like to move up in the lane next to me.. :)

I never thought of it as getting out the way.. I always angle my in the hope that if I'm hit then I will be propelled away from the car in front and not sandwiched between them?

I like to leave an 'escape route' directly in front of the bike when not lane filtering - Not because I think I'll be able to get out of the space before a distracted driver occupies it too, but so that WHEN I get hit I get thrown into the space between the cars ahead rather than the bodywork of the car (God forbid, SUV) in front of me. Safe filtering is the best tactic though, that way the car behind never gets the opportunity to kill you

@Pomoz7

7 жыл бұрын

Roadcraft should respond to this because it is such commonsense. This is what I do. If I can't anticipate the crash and move I can at least not get crunched between the car in front. If I can squeeze (there is not always the room) into a lane filtering/splitting position I will, every time. We are so vulnerable on bikes when stopped behind another vehicle. If it's large our visibility to the traffic behind is at its lowest. And mobile phones are such a distraction they are a real danger to motorcyclists.

Yes, being aware of the behavior of vehicles that may become threats is important, as is clearly signaling your intent with enough light to wake sleepers, but I see little waste with leaving yourself a little room to bug out when facing busy intersections or stops on relatively high speed roads. It is a habit I'll not soon break.

if I'm the first vehicle stopped at lights I'll keep on eye on my rear view mirrors and tap my brakes if another vehicle approaches. I've found this creates movement that allows the driver to see you easier. I'm sure this method has saved me numerous times when a vehicle has approached quickly. If I'm not the first vehicle I'll filter if there's space, not to get to the front of the queue but to make sure I'm not in a position to become a biker filling in a car sandwich! If there's no space to filter I've traditionally moved to one side of the lane and flashed my brakes when another vehicle approaches. Again seems to have worked so far, though I have had a car try to cut passed me once even though I was positioned only slightly to the right of the lane and directly in front of where a driver normally would be. The girl driving had a phone in one hand and clipped the mirror of the car in the other lane.

I haven't watched your entire video yet, but I had an accident where I was coming up to a roundabout and the vehicle behind me didn't even see me, I breaked on arrival of the roundabout, but they ignored me, saw a space as the traffic passed me and pushed me into the roundabout. Just before I started moving forward as it was clear, I checked my mirrors and saw the car moving too fast towards me, I knew I would be propelled forward and I could do nothing about it. How would you deal with that situation as I felt like I was in checkmate.

good video l always keep my distance from the car in front had the same time last keep a eye on the car behind me if l feel the car is speeding up on me or getting to close for my liking I'll move up riding 10 years now been ok so far but mate wasn't so lucky he kill he was at red light car hit him from behind an didn't stop

I saw rear ender and jumped to the wrong conclusion... I don't even ride a bike.. only kidding great vid and thanks for the good advice

Would it be helpfull, if cars have brake lights in the front

I never stop behind a car if I can possibly help it - I always transition into filtering. The only time I've been close to being rear-ended by a car is when I stopped at a zebra crossing - the reaction of the crossing pedestrians was the first I knew of it. I've only ever been actually rear-ended by other two-wheeled vehicles - one scooter following too closely and not paying attention, and one cyclist who wasn't looking where she was going on a dark London evening. That's from over 7 years of traffic-dense London commuting.

Thanks for the tips, Russ. Quality advice as always. What are your thoughts on the flashing brake light bulbs (the ones that flash a few times when you apply the brake then go solid)? I hear some car manufacturers implementing them when braking hard over certain speeds.

@RoadcraftNottingham

8 жыл бұрын

That wouldn't be a bad idea

@forwardslashjjb

8 жыл бұрын

+RoadcraftNottingham I wonder about the legalities?

@forwardslashjjb

8 жыл бұрын

For DIY installation I mean. They would flash every time the brake is pressed.

I had once escape route avoidance about 10 years ago. I wasn't to one side of the lane, I was in the middle and suddenly realised that the car approaching wasn't going to stop in time. I can't remember anything from that moment to hearing the crash 3 or4 car lengths behind me. For a long time you could see a the tyre mark in the middle of the lane veering right where I'd spun the rear wheel up launching the bike towards the hard shoulder. That stuff isn't something you plan, that's pure unconscious flow.

@Techathy

8 жыл бұрын

I would say that all of my other rear-end near misses have been while slowing down/braking & have been averted by filtering through the traffic. The only time I've been rear-ended I was in a car and was someone so engrossed in his phone he's not noticed he'd left the motorway! several 100 meters earlier!

My favorite bit of advice from the video is to flash your brake lights on and off if you have any doubts about someone behind you.A constantly on brake light is just another light to an inattentive driver,they are everywhere in our regular lives.Flasing your lights on and off adds movement,change,it is more likely to garner their attention and make them think,what was that?The second thing is to leave a bit of extra room between yourself and the vehicle in front of you.It gives you more options if you do have warning enough to react and I think you have a better chance of being simply knocked down rather than pinned if the situation does go wrong.

this is an old video but I have a question I hope someone can answer. When you are rear ended or In a minor accident with another road user do you always have to swap insurance details? I had a crash the other week and because I was getting a new bike that weekend I did not swap details with other driver, I did make a police report, explaining what happened and also reported it to my insurance company, I did not claim. I have been riding just under 2 years.

Don't have a video, but I did manage to escape a rear ending in PHX. Middle of the night, headlights were clearly approaching way too fast so I gunned it through the red light and got over to the right, the car blasted through the light in the lane I had been stopped in. I think he realized what he had done halfway through the intersection cause in my mirror I saw him just pull over and sit there on the side of the road.

Sound advice

I think filtering to the front is the best idea

Hi I like the wide angle morror on your screen. May i ask where i can get one please?

@RoadcraftNottingham

7 ай бұрын

It's called a riderscan. Havent used one in years. Check my latest filtering upload to see what I use now.

@jo-justjo

7 ай бұрын

@@RoadcraftNottingham ok thank you . Will do .

I got rear ended at a light after it turned green from red. The car behind me was a lyft driver. He claimed he just saw the light and not me and then just hit the gas. I accelerated slower than usual after the green light turned red because it was raining. I don't think I was holding my brake light at the stop because I had the bike in neutral. This was in a 35mph zone. It wasn't so bad though because I was in a low riding cruiser. It still sucked tremendously.

IDK, I generally sit off to the left or right. This is coming from someone who rides in a suburban area in the States. It certainly feels safer, and I only have my personal experience to go by. As far as whether I would have the reaction time to move my bike, and myself, out of the way of a rear ender coming in hot, let's hope I dont ever find out. Like I said, I do feel safer when sitting to the left or right, if nothing more than having a better line of sight for the road ahead and avoiding getting sandwiched between the two vehicles.

@RoadcraftNottingham

7 ай бұрын

Yes, I'm sometimes offset for the reason you state but I've seen someone really exaggeratedly off to the side, then a car squeezed right next to him, lol

I have never liked the idea of having a single light performing 2 functions - the rear light on a motorcycle. If you have your lights on, when you use your brakes, all that happens is the rear light changes in intensity. If a following driver is not paying full attention, this may be missed. This is why I have added an auxiliary LED brake light. When I hit the brakes, ANOTHER light comes on, which I feel is much less likely to be missed. Obviously, you can't make allowances for EVERY possible scenario, just reduce the risk of most of them.Also, I agree that dismissing the 'escape route' plan as ridiculous is, well, ridiculous :). So what if a car moves up alongside when you are stopped? When traffic starts moving again you just drop back into the gap that opens up and away you go. Just because you haven't seen any video of someone escaping being crushed using this plan doesn't mean it hasn't happened, just that it hasn't (yet) been caught on video.

Two things about the first minute or so. One, an escape route, forget it. if one needs an escape route you are following on far to close. If that escape route is to the left towards say the pavement you will hit the kerb and come off in doing so. If the escape route is on the right you will probably collide with an oncoming vehicle and your mincemeat. Add to that the simple fact that if one considers an escape route all the time either to the left or right and something does happen by the time you have steered towards that escape route it could be full of debris from the collision that has just taken place in front of you. The road ahead containing mangled car parts thrown all over the place so not much fun running into that. The only safe route, as said to stay well enough behind other vehicles so that one can slow and stop in good time without creating further danger to yourself or others. On this video we saw that the road surface was wet and its not only when its raining do we need to double that stopping distance. Its at any time when the road is wet so bear that in mind. Secondly its all well and good taking about the safe stopping distances and remember there are none for bikes, only cars and light vans. So if following on at a safe distance adopting the distances as if you were a car or light van that distance will help you stay safe and brake sufficient to avoid a collision. Why then is it that we are at times [ frequently ]recommended to ride much closer to the vehicle in front. We are instructed to approach closer to any vehicle in front if we wish to overtake it or them. That is abdicating our safety for the sake of another consideration. Something we should never do. This manoeuvre is made even more dangerous when we are following a vehicle around a bend with the intention of overtaking it but whilst leant over say at 30 deg. [ 30% lean ] from the vertical. If we have to emergency brake we cant as we probably only have some 70 % of braking power left . So by the simple act of tailgating ie. pulling closer to the target vehicle we have placed ourselves in an invidious position that we should really not have placed ourselves in in the first place.

Hi Mr Roadcraft. I know the video was about rear ending, Can I hi-light the traffic lights with extra covers/shields over the lens. They are aimed slightly downwards, when I am in my lorry they are in the wrong position to be seen in the cab, I have spoken with a few other HGV drivers who are also having a problem with the extra covers/shields as we can't see when the lights change. Could you point this out to both new & old riders of this additional hazard.