Safety Glance / Lifesaver?

A brilliant thread though and positive (almost) to the end :clap
 
This is a quick copy and paste from somebodies report a year or so ago. Ive changed the names ... :D

Whilst it's more directed at training and observing, it's relevant to this discussion .... :thumb2




In this section Daphne, we traditionally pick on a couple of things for you to work on, and the first one is a good subject matter for all the club members and observers, and that is this culture of ‘Look .. can you see me looking’. So, although you were only slightly guilty of it (beginning of the day and first thing after lunch), let me take the chance to throw my comments into the forum, and they are very much directed at the training process in general and not just you! (I think you said that Daisy Duke would read the reports - so welcome Daisy ..!). I feel a rant coming on Daphne, but I stress it’s not directed at you!
I’ll cut to the chase - I hate it! I think it’s terribly detrimental to our
riding, it (ironically) encourages short vision, short attention, and it destroys everything we look for that is good planning, long lazy lines and generally putting our brain 100’s of metres down the road - usually as far as we can see.
Having been in the world of training for many years, (about 8 as a DSA instructor) I completely understand why this culture exists. (I used to promote it myself with learner riders going for their basic test). I get completely, why an associate would ham up his hazard perception like Marcel Marceax, and why an observer, on a demonstration ride, would do the same to an associate.
The danger is, you build a vicious circle in the whole club world where everybody develops this style of staring into side roads that we’re now on top of, or having three looks into an empty roundabout and then two life savers to leave, staring into petrol station forecourts and driveways as we pass them.
Is this such a problem? Yes! It destroys long vision.
As good motorcyclists, we’re chucking our brain as far as we can see. We’re putting our brain somewhere five or ten seconds before our bike gets there. It’s that very concept that builds the ‘quiet efficiency is the hallmark ... ‘. It’s that concept that builds the swan on the water, the lazy rider who is ruthlessly efficient, yet looks like he’s asleep. All of that comes about by giving our brain time to process information and to make decisions. It ALL comes down to long vision.
By ‘demonstrating hazards’ we bring down our attention, our concentration, to a matter of a few feet in front of our wheels. That then of course promotes a ‘staccato’ ride that is often abrupt and jagged, we see things late and then we rush to deal with them, we end up tying ourselves in knots, all in the name of ‘I’m showing you that I’ve thought about what I’m passing right now’. Because our vision is short and all wrapped up with demonstrating these things we’re on top of, we loose flowing lines and early planning.
The other irony of course, is that if yer looking into it and ‘dealing’ with it as you pass it - well it’s all too late anyway - that’s why we chuck our brain those hundreds of yards ahead - that’s where we ‘deal with it’. It’s that long distance that creates wonderful smooth flow.
So how do we resolve this and how do we break the culture?
Firstly, knowledge is power. You need to all collectively as observers and as student associates acknowledge the difficult conundrum of teaching hazard perception without falling into this ‘demonstration’ trap. It’s a bit like mirror checks - I can look perfectly well in my mirrors with a flick of the eye. But you, behind me won’t know that because you won’t see my head turning. Similarly I will deal with the driveways, the side roads, the roundabouts as early as I can which may sometimes give the wrong appearance of sailing straight past something like I’ve missed it. So as long as somewhere along the line, a discussion takes place amongst you all that covers this idea, then at least you’re all aware of it. How about this as a topic of discussion at the next observers meeting?
Secondly, an idea for the observers. The reason the bike instructors in my world ride close, is to feel what the rider in front is doing. If I’m close, then my throttle will match what you are doing. If you're backing off the gas just a touch as you approach that blind junction - I’ll feel it. Likewise if you’re barreling past a blind junction I’ll feel that. And of course if you barrelling past an open junction that’s completely empty with no traffic in it, I’ll feel that too. A good observer / instructor can feel what your thinking by riding with you. But ... !! My health and safety umbrella kicks in! Riding close of course has its pitfalls, and you need to be switched on and very safe. How common are the stories of one bike going into the back of another at a roundabout or the like where there is misunderstanding - one bike being hesitant, the other seeing it good to go ... !
What I often do is ride close at the very outset and get an early understanding of someones riding, and once I’ve got that, I’ll drop back a bit. I’ll very rarely ride directly behind them and of course your vision needs to be very much of the ‘wide angle’ that we spoke about - riding your own ride but ‘seeing’ the bike in front too.
So, whilst that’s another idea for you to discuss amongst yourselves in your observer meetings, I can’t sit here and actively encourage you all to ride up the chuff of the bloke infant!! (A disaster waiting to happen!!).

Totally spot-on Giles. I have no idea why DSA would not want us to safely straight-line a roundabout & would prefer us to stay in lane 1 when leaving at 12 o’clock even when that means getting avoidably close to vehicles waiting to join.
My other niggle is the riders who do shoulder checks so late in their riding plan that they are already committed to making the manoeuvre.


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Education is a continual learning process, and being honest about your own skills and knowledge, it helps you get home in one piece.

Of course, education has always been that important. I often learn things that I do not need to learn in my occupation, but for my own development.
Recently I started learning English grammar an took up course at do my essay, to be intelligent in writing, even thought I am engineer. Just for myself, to be smarter, more intelligent person.
 
Of course, education has always been that important. I often learn things that I do not need to learn in my occupation, but for my own development.
Recently I started learning English grammar an took up course at do my essay, to be intelligent in writing, even thought I am engineer. Just for myself, to be smarter, more intelligent person.

Nice bit of spam :okay

Andres
 
Of course, education has always been that important. I often learn things that I do not need to learn in my occupation, but for my own development.
Recently I started learning English grammar an took up course at do my essay, to be intelligent in writing, even thought I am engineer. Just for myself, to be smarter, more intelligent person.

Well, if reading through your post is an example of the "teaching", i'd say you've wasted your time and money and i'd demand a refund. . :D
 


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