Lesson 2 Risk Management
What do you think of when asked, “What is a good motorcyclist?” Is it one who obeys the laws? Is it one who has superior riding skill? Is it a rider who can negotiate curves fast? Is it one who rides slow and anticipates hazards? Is it one who doesn’t crash?
Whatever your definition of a “good motorcyclist”; a key element for a good rider would be to have the desire and motivation to choose to reduce risk while riding. It takes superior riding skill; and of course, a positive mental attitude helps. But a fundamental trait of all good riders is that they have a strategy, a way of thinking and planning to avoid trouble.
A good motorcyclist reduces factors that lead to problems by applying a STRATEGY.
Responsible riding is more than just having good skill, and more than simply having a good attitude. It means thinking before acting. It means considering the consequences of actions. This is the mental preparation that helps to reduce risk.
All physical activities have an element of risk. It is important to recognize that risks can seldom be completely eliminated, but they can usually be managed or minimized. One of the surest ways to manage risk is to first be aware of the potential risks, and second to have a specific plan for minimizing the risks.
One way to think about your personal safety when you ride is to consider your personal margin of safety. This means to consider the “margin for error,” or how much extra time and space you need given your skill level.
Vision for Safety or SEE
A simple and powerful strategy
SEE is to Search, Evaluate, and Execute.
It is a strategy to help you understand what is going on in traffic and to be constantly planning and implementing a course of action.
To SEE is to:
Search for factors that might lead to risky situations
Evaluate how the factors might interact to create risk
Execute an action to maintain a margin of safety
To SEE is to ask your self such questions as: What’s the other person going to do? What if that driver doesn’t see me? What if there’s gravel in that curve ahead? What if that car doesn’t yield the right-of-way at that intersection? These everyday riding situations have something in common: if a strategy for dealing with them isn’t employed, they can easily lead to a crash.
To put it simply, you must continually SEE. As you develop riding skills and mix with other people on road, apply the SEE strategy to give yourself time and space.
Vision for Safety works anywhere, and can help to ensure your safety and the safety of others. Getting ready to ride is a matter of being responsible about preparation. It is important to know how to prepare yourself and your motorcycle, and to take the action steps to ensure a safe and enjoyable ride.
TEN ways to reduce your risk of having a motorcycle accident in Thailand
1. Rider error is the most prominent cause factor in motorcycle accidents in Thailand. Because motorcyclists begin riding at a young age (14-15), particularly up-country most have received no training at all in basic traffic rules and safety measures. You must be aware that many other riders will violate regulations and be unaware of their errors. You must ride defensively. Your best way to reduce this risk is to participate in a safety training course and learn to take full responsibility for your own actions.
2. Alcohol is a key factor in most motorcycle accidents. Alcohol involved riders are more likely to be the primary or sole cause of accidents and are more likely to crash by losing control of the motorcycle, usually by running off the road. Reduce your risk by not drinking alcoholic beverages or using drugs of any kind before riding. Always assure that you are in your best physical condition when you are riding.
3. Become responsible for your own actions when riding a motorcycle. Do not wait for the police to enforce traffic rules on you – enforce them on your self. The likelihood of the police observing your violation is small and if you do not accept the responsibility for your own actions your risk will be much higher.
4. Most accidents occur because one of the drivers or riders did not see the other. Do everything you can to increase your own field of vision and take steps to make yourself more visible to others. Headlamp use is one way to increase your visibility in traffic. Lights can be on during the day and must be on at night. Do not modify or remove your rear view mirrors. Make sure your eyes are protected from dust and dirt.
5. The most frequent accident configuration is a motorcycle impacting the rear of another vehicle. Decrease your risk by maintaining a minimum of four seconds from the vehicle ahead of you. This distance should be increased due to environmental conditions.
6. In most accidents the rider has only 2 seconds to decide on and take an evasive action. You can improve your chances by learning collision avoidance skills: such as braking and swerving. However, decrease your risk by placing emphasis on defensive driving skills to minimize potential accident situations. Learn to maintain a cushion of safety around your motorcycle.
7. Worn or absent brakes, loose steering, missing or burned out lamps and turn signals, and loose suspension contribute to accident causes. Frequently, inspect your own motorcycle and never modify the systems supplied by the manufacturer. Become accustomed to doing a pre-check before riding any motorcycle.
8. Motorcycles become unstable if the rider is improperly positioned. Develop a proper riding position and reduce your risk by avoiding passengers since they can be distracting and interfere with motorcycle balance. Do not ride with dangerous cargo such as propane tanks or unwieldy cargo as this is very risky.
9. Environmental conditions and darkness can substantially increase your risk. Become aware of roadway defects (potholes, debris, gravel, etc) and understand how these affect your ability to take evasive action. The higher your speed the greater your risk. Accidents which occur at over 50 km/h are generally fatal.
10. Use of a helmet will not reduce your risk of having an accident; however, proper use of a well designed helmet will generally reduce your risk of being killed or suffering a serious head injury. Helmet users too often defeat the protection offered by a helmet by wearing it poorly. If your helmet is ejected your risk of dying is greater than someone who is not wearing a helmet at all!
