Do you know that certain person that always needs to be the center-of-attention? They dress brilliantly, they dance around the party and command your attention. If the road was a party and you’re a motorcycle rider you need to be that person.
Step 1, dress for success. high visibility clothing works and the higher you wear it on your body the more visible it is. Your helmet and jacket create the biggest wow. It’s motorcycle eye candy to the oncoming driver!
Step 2, your riding habits can also make you conspicuous. Just like playing pool, angles matter when it comes to visibility. If there is a line of cars oncoming you need to be wary of someone pulling out to pass or turning left in front of you.
Although we are taught to ride near the centre line (left tire track) for visibility a gentle shift to the right side of the lane will give the second, third or fourth car a better angle to see you. The whole width of the lane is yours, use it wisely.
A good habit to use when approaching an intersection is to gently weave across the lane. The eyes of the oncoming drivers will pick up lateral motion. This is a “Hey, I’m here, look at me” manoeuvre.
Use all the tools at your disposal to stay safe and stand out in a crowd. Take an advanced riding course, dress for visibility and use your angles and lateral motion to be seen.
