Sandwich meat!

[BeniciaRT_GT]

On the way to work yesterday:

 

Traffic thick but moving along at about 45-50.

 

Thankfully, I can see through the small pickup trucks windshield in front of me. I see the car two in front of him "lock 'em up" and begin to fishtail.

 

Not good!

 

I'm in my normal "freeway" spot: right side of the left lane, right up against the white line. Immediately there is lots of screeching of tires from all around me. Now my reason for being where I am positioned is that I usually dive for safety between cars when traffic starts to do the "herky jerk" (stop and go). However, in this instance, I see the car 2 in front is now in both the #1 and #2 lanes still trying to stop. Something tells me to go left. (It happened so damn fast, but I think I noticed that the truck in front of me started to move right and somehow I noticed that.)

 

Now I also know there is virtually no room on the left, but with the truck moving right and my instincts already taking me that way, off to the left I went. (The K-rail had about 12-18 inches of room between it and the yellow line.) I have no problem stopping as fast as the traffic in front of me, although it requires harder braking than I've ever used on the GT in a normal environment (i.e. non parking lot/practice spot.)

 

I'm really cutting it close to be able to stop in time, and I now realize I've put myself in a very bad spot by following too close! As I'm thinking about how hard I have to brake to stop, I'm also thinking a car will never be able to stop like the GT, so I put all my concentration on that K-rail and the space between it and the truck in front of me. I decide that is where I want to be, RIGHT NOW!!!

 

As I ease off the brake just a tiny bit, and get headed parallel into that space, I now have time to glance into my mirror.

 

I don't think I need to tell you what I saw!

 

I can't even see the front half of the car that is supposed to be behind me!!! Several loud thumps (insert your favorite crash sound here) later, there are now 2 rear end accidents, one of which is literally beside me. I am stuffed in that tiny space between the pick up (which is now several inches shorter than the factory intended) and the center divide.

 

In hindsight, after I got the smell out of my underwear, I think I put myself in a very bad situation, and had I been riding less like an idiot, I could have avoided soiling myself. I was too close to the vehicle in front of me. I tend to do that a lot, as I feel a bike can stop way better than a car. I will have to change that stupid technique post haste.

 

All is not bad however. I do think I did something right in going left and diving for a hole I felt would open up. Since the wrecks took up two lanes, it was the right choice. I still like the position I was in, just not that close to the car in front!

 

I learned a lesson that will help me survive a little better.I just thought I'd share my little road warrior story in the hopes it will make you think about where you are at all times too.

 

Never let those cagers see you sweat!!!

[Ben_Ricci]

Great job finding the safe spot. Glad you missed the mayhem. I tend to get "hypnotized" into following too closely and I have to constantly tell myself to back off. It's easy to do.

[SageRider]

Glad you are not now peanut butter and jelly!

[Whip]

You had me scared son.

 

Glad your okay.

 

Side by side on crutches would make a good pic.....but I wouldn't wish this on anyone.

 

 

 

Whip

[Mike O]

Sometimes instinct can play a far more important role in our decision making process than we give it credit. Choosing the path you did was at least influenced by your quick thinking and allowing your instincts to reinforce that. Glad you weren't really sandwich meat.

 

BTW, what's a K-rail?

 

Mike O

[roadscholar]

Good reflexes Richard. Somebody said luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.

[Ken H.]

Well I think overall you did pretty well! A lesser rider might have just locked 'ere up and rode 'ere down. But you kept 'riding the bike' right up to the end of the event.

 

You already know you main mistake, following to close, so no point in belaboring that.

 

There is a common misconception that a bike can stop faster than a cage. 20 years ago that may have been true, but these days for the most part I think braking advances have put them on par. Or at least enough that one can't count on it anymore.

 

Positive outcome of the whole thing though.

[Huzband]

That could have been one ugly mess of potted meat.

 

Glad you worked it out.

 

You're one person I don't want to have to feel sorry for.

[AdventurePoser]

Richard,

 

Thanks for posting your thoughts. I too sometimes get in the habit of following a bit too closely, thinking the size of my bike may automatically give me safer options...

 

Hope to see you soon,

Steve in So Cal

[Firefight911]

You're one person I don't want to have to feel sorry for.

 

+1 to that!!!

 

Man, had me woried for a while! Just as Whip said, two crutched fools would be funny to see, however, we can do without!!

 

Good analysis of what you did right and wrong. And it sounds as though it was fortunate that the center median next to the K-rail was relatively clean.

 

Now, please handle your laundry as the stench is not wanted since the winds are coming from your direction to mine!!!!!

 

Mike, the K-rail is the center concrete divider on divided highways. It is designed to be wide at the base and taper up so that cars are "pushed" back away from the rail. This prevents them from climbing up and potentially over them in a collision.

[Carnadero]

I was too close to the vehicle in front of me. I tend to do that a lot, as I feel a bike can stop way better than a car. I will have to change that stupid technique post haste.

Something worth mentioning would be to observe what is happening to cars further up, like say three, four, or more ahead, especially when in or near the left lane, as that lane seems to typically suffer (at least here in the Bay Area) a very pronounced inchworm effect, moving at a somewhat faster clip and then stopping just as quickly. Typically, when those people apply their brakes, the reaction rolls rearward like dominoes, and anyone who's following close and not giving their driving the undivided attention it requires will either have a little mishap or simply have a close call. I don't ride in freeway commute traffic a lot, but when I do, I have always watched the brake lights way further up ahead and I haven't as yet been surprised by the person in front of me hitting their brakes suddenly, as I knew a drastic slowdown or a stop would be imminent.

[BeniciaRT_GT]

I agree Joe, however after further review this morning on the way in, I noticed why I didnt' see further ahead: there is a pretty sharp hill rise. This happened just over the top, so sight lines aren't what they usually are on a freeway. I did wonder why I didn't see it coming, so I paid particular attention to that "why" this morning and figured it out.

 

I also paid particular attention to the left side of the road, as I remembered thinking of escape routes that left was not and option before this happened. After looking again this morning, I was right. The yellow line is right against the center divider! (construction on the right) Just after the scene, it opens up to 12-18"! I guess the truck moving just gave me the room to go that way. I'm glad he didn't move back left!!!

[AviP]

Thankfully, I can see through the small pickup trucks windshield in front of me.

That was your early warning. Next time you might not be so lucky. While I also ride up close to vehicles in front of me, it's only for passing moves in tight spaces and not for longer durations. I also hate following vans, pickups, trucks, or SUVs with tinted glasses, anything that prevents me looking well ahead.

 

That said, excellent job on finding the safe hole. Your reflexes and instincts are well conditioned. Now go drink a cold one and please do you laundry.

[Scarecrow]

Very glad you made it out with nothing more than clothes damage...

[Laura]

Very glad you made it out with nothing more than clothes damage...

 

DITTO. You did good.

[TN_R_Girl]

Phew!! Glad that one had a happy ending and that you were ok

 

And thank you for sharing your insights to help us all be better thinkers/riders

[Tasker]

I too sometimes get in the habit of following a bit too closely

 

Yep, me too. It's a bad habit that I am constantly trying to break before it breaks me.

 

These reminders are good.

 

Glad you rode in and out of your "situation."

[RT_Pilot]

Isn’t funny how it takes a page of words to describe what happens in seconds…

 

I’m of the opinion that you can practice awareness and reaction, you’ll never be able to practice for all the possible events that may happen. Your judgement is always going to be about what IS happening or HAS happened. Sharp reaction time and awareness of all things around you are a full time endeavor especially on bikes. Sounds like you did it right my friend.

 

I was thinking about giving you a ring'l ring'l ring to see if you wanted a ride today, not thinking you were working. Another time than?

 

Glad you and your steed are in one piece, thanks for relaying your experience.

[Carnadero]

Out of curiosity, what freeway and where at on it did this "Clorox moment" occur? (assuming you wear white undergarments - non-whites will necessitate substituting your favorite laundry detergent in place of Clorox)

[BeniciaRT_GT]

80 West, near Crocket/Hercules...

[RT_Pilot]

There’s a scary place as you disembark the bridge with a hairy right turn moving up the hill. Was it there? I always get a nut-itch from weird things people seemed to do right there.

[Carnadero]

80 West, near Crocket/Hercules...

Ah, that little grade to Cummings Skyway, no?

 

You know, given your commute, I don't see how you maintain your sanity. Even if I had a great bike like yours, having to deal with traffic and moronic Bay Area motorists would take all the enjoyment out of riding to work in no time at all.

[tgrrdr]

80 West, near Crocket/Hercules...

 

In the construction zone or not? Sometime later this year (May, June?) they'll have the carpool lane open across the Carquinez Bridge to the existing carpool lane south of Hwy 4 - should help your commute for a little while.

[Huzband]

Now that Richard's been proven mortal again, maybe he'll get his head out of the clouds(or elsewhere )from all that 50cc attention he's been mooching off of.

 

See ya soon, buddy.

[SageRider]

Richard almost got squeezed into 50cc!

[leikam]

Cars locking it up and drifting across lanes is pretty much what I think of as my worst case commute scenario. Glad you made it through.

[glwestcott]

Glad you made it through. What a gut wrencher!

[bakerzdosen]

Man!!! Congrats on your survival instincts working.

 

Glad to hear you're OK.

[roydog007]

Richard, Whew, Glad your ok

[JayW]

Whenever there an accident or near-accident, it is always a good idea to carefully consider the circumstances and what lessons can be taken away from it. Thanks for sharing your insights. Glad your OK - sound like you were very lucky (some of which you generated) .

 

Jay

[BeniciaRT_GT]

Thanks Y'all for all the kind words!

 

I have been thinking about that post, and I really wanted to clear up one thing:

 

My definition of "too close" isn't exactly as it seems.

 

The issue wasn't that I was too close to the car in front of me, (which I was) as I could easily stop as quickly as he could. It was that by doing that I didn't give myself enough control of the buffer zone behind me that could have gotten me killed.

 

I've been trying to figure out how to explain what I mean all afternoon, and I think I have it partially figured out. Here goes...

 

In the spirit of knowing where you are on the road, I have a theory about the space between the car in front of me and how heavy traffic is. The heavier the traffic, the more I will drop back. However, it is for the car behind me, not the car I'm increasing distance from.

 

If the car in front of me stands on the brake pedal and begins to decelerate at what we will call rate X.

 

The closer I am to the car in front, the closer to rate X I also have to slow. Now on modern BMWs that shouldn't be a problem. (assuming I am paying attention and start decelerating at the instant he does!)

 

 

Now, at that instant, if I have to match the X rate so does the car behind me. And the closer he is to me the better chance he won't start braking before he turns me into a hood ornament.

 

Are you with me so far?

 

 

Now, if I had been back a few car lengths, I could control that rear gap a little better.

 

[hijack own thread] This is very hard for me in traffic, since that is an invitation to dive into the gap and make me perceive (not true, but frustrating enough to me) I will not get somewhere in time. It also invites people to come over onto you![sorry for hijack/rambling thought]

 

In other words, if I have a large gap, I can decelerate at slower rate of Y. This allows me to slow the car behind me at Y, or if I can see the car behind me is still yakking on the phone and not slowing, I can give an early brake light while not really doing anything until I have brake, even if it is at my max rate of Z.

 

It sounds ridiculous to drive your mirrors, but as soon as you KNOW you are going to be able to stop as fast as the car in front, you should be looking in your mirrors. I have said many hundreds of times: "never let someone else out there drive your vehicle." In other words, if you let someone cause you to do something you shouldn't because of their actions, then you are making a mistake. However, this is one time you should partially allow someone else to drive.

 

I hope this theory I use to try to drive defensively makes sense for this post.

[roadscholar]

Richard, got it.

[g_nuse]

Richard,

 

I think what you are refering to is another form of "target fixation".

[NEOHMark]

Richard's follow up post is virtually exactly what I intended to post here. But now I don't need to!

 

Glad you're OK.

 

And yes - we should leave extra distance in front of us in heavy traffic NOT so that WE can stop in time - but so that we can 'control' the braking action of the idiot who is tailgating behind us.