Image via NBC DFW/YouTube
One of the things many professional motorcycle instructors teach students is that they always have to be hyper aware of their surroundings at all times. That might sound exhausting, but there’s a way to do it that isn’t so taxing. Failure to heed this counsel could result in a fatal crash, like what unfortunately happened with a motorcyclist in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro early on the morning of July 10.
Drivers can be killed by speeding motorcycles.
We don’t have many details about the accident, so it’s entirely possible the rider had zero time to react and avoid the road debris he hit. What we don know via NBC DFW is that a dump truck was traveling on a highway and struck one of the overhead signs, spilling broken pieces of that structure onto the roadway.
If the rider wasn’t that far behind the dump truck, he would’ve had little time to react. But there’s a lesson in that. Riding close behind heavy equipment, commercial trucks, etc. is inherently dangerous and really should be avoided.
But we get casual about things like that because we’re around these 40-ton vehicles constantly. As they say, we become too casual about risks we take often, and that’s certainly true about riding in traffic.
As far as always being aware when riding, to many that seems like too much to ask. After all, if you commute on your bike every day, plus ride other places regularly, you can’t possibly be expected to always be taking in everything around you, right?
But you have to when riding. Technically you should when you’re driving, but on a motorcycle you’re far more exposed to road dangers, so it’s even more important. The best way to do this is building the habit or seeing everything but looking at nothing. It’s a trick racers use.
They don’t focus on anything in particular on a track or road course, but instead they let their eyes just drink everything in. That helps with spotting dangers earlier, giving you more time to react.
Sadly, whatever happened in this situation, this rider didn’t survive what sounds like a freak accident.
Image via NBC DFW/YouTube
