Eyes are the windows to your brain, they control what you see and how you react. You have probably heard of target fixation or, conversely, “to look where you want to go”. The first, target fixation, is a must not and the second, “to look where you want to go”, is an absolute must.
Eyes may not naturally know to look where you want to go i.e. “look at that squirrel”. You do need to train your eyes to identify where you want to go. Looking far enough ahead is a learned skill. The faster you go the more you need to prepare for the circumstance around you.
Training your eyes how far to scan head is very important to your safety. Looking at your front fender or hood ornament will not give you enough time to react in an emergency.SIPDE is an acronym that means the rider:
- Scans far enough ahead
- Identifies any potential risks
- Predicts traffic patterns
- Decides an evasive maneuver if required
- Executes the action to avoid a collision
Everything to do with SIPDE relies on your eyes. It is being proactive rather than reactive. If you actively train your eyes you will eliminate most surprises and be a much safer rider.
