Safe Speed Forums

I've been using the bike to commute the last few weeks, since the weather's been good, and I've noticed a really odd behaviour from car drivers. It happened again this morning, so I thought I'd post about it.

I came across a slow moving taxi - approx. 50mph on a NSL road - and he had 2 other cars behind him before me. The two cars were following too closely (approx. 1s gaps, no surprises there) and were clearly showing no signs of trying to pass. So, like you do on a bike, I wanted to get past Mr. taxi and get on my way, and I intended to do this by bunnyhopping up through the queue.

Now, I'm quite a careful rider I think it's fair to say. I won't squeeze past traffic in my lane, I always indicate before an overtake and I always wait for a good gap so I can pass fast and wide, so I don't see my riding as unduely aggressive or surprising. What I've noticed though, is that almost every time I do this, the car I've just passed seems to disappear to FAR more than a 2 second gap behind me, even though they were happy to follow another car at <1s. I'm not cutting in too close, I make sure of that so I really can't think of any reason why drivers do this.

Is it simply the 'surprise' of being passed by something that they hadn't seen because they'd forgotten what their mirrors are for, is it that they're being snapped out of some kind of trance-like state, or is it just that the back of my bike doesn't look very... user friendly...?

Have any of the other bikers noticed this?

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Science won over religion when they started installing lightning rods on churches.

I've noticed it when I overtake in the car too, I can only presume that the change of scenery snaps them out of the trance-like state that had them following the car ahead too closely. Invariably the gap closes over time.

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Regulation without education merely creates more criminals.

Possibly they think "Oh-Oh. A dangerous motorcycle. Better give it a lot of space."

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Malcolm W.
The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not represent the views of Safespeed.

Bikes can brake harder than cars so I had better leave some space.

Realising they probably are a bit close to the vehicle in front.

The most likely would be the one below for me, though that may be because I would like it to be.

If something happens and I hit the biker I will probably kill them. Possibly that they can see the rider, i.e. a person, rather than another steel box in front of them turns this into an interaction with a human being not an object.

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Driving fast is for a particular time and place, I can do it I just only do it occasionally because I am a gentleman.
- James May

I really don't see them as either caring or understanding of any biker, unless it's a biker in a car.

(Mr Cynical)

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

TBH I'd be inclined to agree Tone. I CERTAINLY wouldn't expect them to understand that a bike can stop faster...

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Science won over religion when they started installing lightning rods on churches.

I think it is a reaction to a biker not an object, i.e. the bike.

Consider the PH threads where poster dislike BMWs or Toyota Yarii as opposed to disliking bikers or cyclists. This is a bit tenuous I admit as the dislike may be for 4x4s as a group, however my idea is that the interaction occurs at a more personal level with a biker than a driver who is somewhat isolated behind glass and metal. I would hope that, even if unconsciously, the majority of drivers do consider the safety of other road users as part of their, again possibly unconscious, risk assessment.

Edit - Of course it may be purely selfish, the insurance liability in hitting a biker from behind could be much higher due to injury costs.

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Driving fast is for a particular time and place, I can do it I just only do it occasionally because I am a gentleman.
- James May

Which is just one reason why I am all for riding before you drive, but I'm in a minority

(BTW, if you are single and like older men ) Is flirting allowed?




Hmm - the blame culture 'I'm more concerned with my NCD than the welfare of others'

Not disagreeing with you toltec, but I think it's where we are sadly.

I don't think it's the way to go, but I'm sure it's where we're heading, or where we are today.

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

ummmmm

does your bum perhaps look big on it ?

Absolutely because the tailgaters are suddenly aware that the vehicle in front of them has a human on it, you might convince me that it's because car drivers see motorcyclists as more unpredictable, but I'm pretty sure it's the "now there's a soft meaty thing in front of me I'll drop back a bit" aspect that's doing it.

You must all know about the study by the guy on the bike who found that cars passed cyclists with helmets on the closest, without helmets less close, and no helmet and long hair (he wore a wig) were given the greatest space.

Is that really true? I'd have thought it would be the the other way round? Bikes have a much higher centre of gravity than cars, by and large, don't they? OK, I can appreciate that a bike is a lot lighter too but comparing like-with-like (i.e. superbikes with supercars, ordinary bikes with ordinary cars etc) are they really better?

They might just be being considerate! I always leave a bit more gap behind a bike because if something does go wrong I don't want to squash someone. I don't want to crash into a car either, but it doesn't matter as much as hitting a person.

I don't believe that bikes can stop quicker than cars. Most cars can get close to 1G deceleration in the dry and bikes can't be any better unless they have very sticky tyres. In the wet you stand a good chance of coming off a bike if you brake hard and lock the wheels.

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

I didn't know but I do now ta weepej

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/engl ... 334208.stm

Maybe I should attach a wig to the outside of my helmet?

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

I'm not black...

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Science won over religion when they started installing lightning rods on churches.

oh tone... please take it away.

i feel soiled.

Sorry folks but I can assure you it's not X-Rated, It's off Photobucket.

What you doin' here ed? I thought you'd be on your new bike 'till at least dusk. BTW Six, I know you're not black and from what I remember from your picture your bum will never be that big

Talking of odd behaviour. Something got on my last nerve today when I was on my motorbike. It happens ALL the time...

What is it with you car drivers that you don't understand that when I have entered a roundabout and you are approaching it too, from my left, you enter the island without scrubbing off speed and going over the white line without the faintest idea that I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE SEEN ME AND ARE GOING TO SIDE-SWIPE ME OR WHETHER YOU HAVE SEEN ME AND ARE JUST GOING TO ENTER THE ISLAND BEHIND ME!

So what would you do in my position?

Well, I slow down on the island and they look at me like "what's your problem, get on with it?" and I'm looking at them like "well how the fu@k am I supposed to know you have seen me?"

Would they take the chance if they were the vulnerable biker or cyclist? I don’t think so - or if they did they wouldn't live for very long!

(Did car-only people even understand what I'm on about just then I wonder?)

"Odd behaviour?" You may have started something here Sixy, although I would call it 'Not empathising with other road users'

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

No, I don't think they can either, but I would bet most drivers do not know that hence that line.

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Driving fast is for a particular time and place, I can do it I just only do it occasionally because I am a gentleman.
- James May

Hmmm.. "Harder?" We’re talking overall stopping distance here I presume?

I can't find/search for it now unfortunately but memories of dear Paul in answer to one of my many questions springs to mind.

Last year, I remember I was arguing about how a car driver has to physically move his foot off the accelerator, across to the brake pedal and then apply it, whereas a biker has only to grab the brake lever and press the foot pedal which are always hovering over the top.

So then, braking power aside - it's as instantaneous as it gets! (As a VERY significant product of overall stopping distance)

Imagine, car drivers, always having the braking mechanism right there the millisecond you need it?

But there's more..

Paul agreed with me but then added in his reply to me/us, (and I so wish I could find that thread now but I'll have to paraphrase), 'the hand is closer to the brain than the foot and can react much quicker"

Just another of so many gems from Paul's wealth of knowledge

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.