I recently had an enquiry from a motorcyclist in Ireland that I think is worth sharing more widely.  My correspondent wanted to know how best to protect ourselves from the danger caused by a motorist suddenly turning left or right across our path as we are filtering past stationary or slow moving traffic. The e-mail referred to vehicles turning left as motorcycles attempt to pass in a bus-lane.  This is apparently quite lawful in  Southern Ireland, but is not necessarily allowed over here.  Each Local Authority sets the local traffic regulations.  Some allow bikes to use the bus lanes and others don’t.  This lack of uniformity adds to the dangers faced by bikers because other motorists are not necessarily expecting them to pop up on their left hand side, and are therefore more likely to turn without signaling.

Whichever side of the traffic you are filtering past be on the lookout for vehicles signaling an intention of turning.  If you see one do your utmost to ensure that the driver or rider has seen you, especially if you are close to it when the signal is given.   As an advanced motorcyclist you will probably be wearing conspicuous clothing and possibly also have your dipped headlight illuminated.  Additionally, cover your horn, and don’t feel that you have to wait until the vehicle starts to turn before you use it.  We British are far more reticent about sounding our horns than our continental neighbours.  But why?  A quick sound of the horn is not a display of anger or aggression.  It is not rude or impatient.  It means only one thing – ‘I am here!’.  It can often make the difference between a safe ride and a collision.

Of course, if a motorist ahead of you is signaling an intention to turn, that is probably exactly what they will do, so don’t pass.  Slow down and be prepared to stop.  If you attempt to pass and come to grief you will have only yourself to blame, and may even face a prosecution for riding without due care and attention.

Be cautious about flashing your headlight.  Consider carefully whether you may inadvertently convince the other motorist that you are indicating ‘permission’ for them to turn.

Of course, as the rather vague title of my column implies, this article is far more concerned with how you protect yourself from the motorist who turns without indicating their intention.  It is about the development of what appears to the uninitiated to be an almost supernatural ‘sixth sense’ for detecting potential danger.  In reality this ability is only the application of good observation skills, and the interpretation of the information gathered.  It enables the advanced motorist to identify signals in the environment which allow them to anticipate the otherwise unexpected behaviour of other road users.

In identifying the road user who is about to turn without signaling there are sometimes a few clues which may be added to your ongoing risk assessment of your motoring environment.

Look for: -

1.    The driver who is obviously distracted and not    paying full attention (who should be given a wide birth in any case).  This includes; 

People with dogs jumping around in the car,

Mums on the school run with lively youngsters on board,

Teenagers with car stereos’ blasting out at full belt (especially if several young people are on board).

2.   The driver who is looking around for street signs and might be lost.

3.   The very elderly.  

4.   The vehicle that is going very slowly - in addition to the above reasons the driver may be unwell, over tired, or under the influence of drink or drugs.

5.   Some vehicles are more likely to be poorly maintained than others.  Agricultural and construction vehicles are some of the worst.  Could it be that the driver thinks they ARE indicating, but the bulb has blown? Farm vehicles and Plant are sometimes driven by people who have scant regard for road safety.  They sometimes have little experience of driving on the road and should always be treated with extra caution.

Always consider the CONTEXT of what you see as well as the events themselves.

It is all very well to see the taxi - but what about the person on the offside of the road who might suddenly hail it? Taxi's are especially prone to doing tight U-turns with little notice.  London cabs have a particularly tight turning circle and can swing around in the road with ease.

If you are following a tradesperson’s vehicle, be aware when you pass premises they may seek to visit.  Will the bread delivery van suddenly access a bakery?  Will the milk lorry cross over to the dairy?

Some will argue that some of the comments I have made amount to unfair stereotyping of certain groups of road user.  However, many hospitalized friends and a number of narrow squeaks when riding have given me the right! 

All advanced riding (and driving) is about recognizing potential sources of danger and adopting a course of action which reduces the risks as much as possible.  Often we are faced with a variety of potential dangers at once.  Some are more likely than others to come about.  We therefore 'Risk Assess' and adopt the most prudent course we can.  Assessing other road users and the local environment is as important as reading the road surface or the weather.  If you develop your own ‘sixth sense’ you will have an internal alarm that will warn you when things are amiss (or potentially amiss).  Sometimes you will not even know why – but you will have a feeling of disquiet about a situation you witness developing.  You may create more space around yourself (and therefore reaction time) before you even work out what is causing you concern.  This is an important part of defensive motoring, and is part observation, part analysis and part intuition.  If you use it well, you will keep yourself out of a great deal of trouble.

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