Transcript Slide 1

GOLD WING ROAD RIDERS
ASSOCIATION
Motorist Awareness Division
Share the Road with
Motorcycles Seminar
October 2008
LOOK TWICE – Save a Life!
1
Overview

The purpose of this seminar is to share with
you some of the hazards drivers present to
motorcyclists and how you can be part of
the solution. We will discuss:
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Gold Wing Road Riders Association (GWRRA)
Motorcycle Characteristics
Hazardous Driving Scenarios
LOOK TWICE – Save a Life!
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Gold Wing Road Riders Association
(GWRRA)
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What is GWRRA?
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Established in 1977, GWRRA is the largest single
marque motorcycle organization in the world.
Based on the Honda Gold Wing touring motorcycle.
• Over 80,000 members
• Chapters in all 50 states – over 800 chapters
• International - Chapters in at least 52 countries, including
USA & Canada
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Organized with local Chapters, in-state Districts, multistate Regions, under a National/International umbrella.
LOOK TWICE – Save a Life!
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Gold Wing Road Riders Association
(GWRRA)
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What Are We About?
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Motto: Friends for Fun, Safety & Knowledge
Emphasis on educating our members
Rider Education Program training includes:
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Both Riders and Co-Riders (passengers)
Seminars, videos, newsletters, magazine
Rider Courses to improve motorcycle riding skills
CPR, First Aid, AED training
LOOK TWICE – Save a Life!
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Why Motorist Awareness?
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“Few of us could have foreseen the increased hazards
imposed on motorcyclists in the past five years. Vehicle
operators are now more distracted than any of us could
ever have imagined.”
Mike Wright – Former GWRRA President and Executive Director
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Driver distractions now include:
Children & pets
 Car stereos
 Fast food
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Cell phones
 Navigation systems
 DVD players
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LOOK TWICE – Save a Life!
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Motorcycle Characteristics
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Motorcycles differ from cars in several
significant ways:
Narrow 2-wheeled vehicle
Harder to identify in traffic
Difficult to judge distance and speed
Ability to accelerate faster
Ability to stop quicker
LOOK TWICE – Save a Life!
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More Than Two Wheels
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Motorcycles, having only 2 wheels, are
less stable but more nimble than cars,
trucks and SUVs.
Other motorcycle based vehicles include:
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Trikes
Sidecars
Motorcycles with 2-wheel add-on stability
enhancers (like training wheels).
LOOK TWICE – Save a Life!
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Trike Conversion
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Trike conversion
replaces the rear
wheel of the
motorcycle with
an automotive –
type axle.
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Both rear wheels
drive cycle.
LOOK TWICE – Save a Life!
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Sidecar Conversion
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Sidecar, with
its own
wheel, is
fixed to the
motorcycle
frame.
LOOK TWICE – Save a Life!
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2-Wheel Stability Add-On
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Voyager add-on
kit example
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Cycle keeps rear
wheel for power
Photos courtesy of Motorcycle
Tour Conversion, Inc.
LOOK TWICE – Save a Life!
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Motorcycle Equipment
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Standard motorcycle requirements – state dependent
 Headlight, tail light, brake light
• Turn signals might be optional; hand signals often used.
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Permanently attached seat & footrest.
Department of Transportation approved helmet.
Eye protection.
GWRRA promotes full coverage of the rider & co-rider
 Helmet, eye protection, long sleeves & pants, fullfingered gloves, over the ankle footwear.
LOOK TWICE – Save a Life!
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What Keeps Us Up at Night!
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Large numbers of
motorcyclists die each year
from other motorists failure
to see them in traffic.
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Failure to yield the right-ofway to motorcycles due to
misperception is another
factor in motorcycle
crashes with other
highway users.
LOOK TWICE – Save a Life!
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Hazardous Driving Scenarios
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Actions by drivers in everyday traffic that
pose the greatest risk to motorcyclists:
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Turning across oncoming traffic.
Left or right turn at intersection from a stop.
Blind spots temporarily hiding motorcycles.
Unsafe following distances.
LOOK TWICE – Save a Life!
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Left Turn Across Traffic
One of the most common types
of car – motorcycle collisions
Driver turns left in
front of motorcycle
as though it isn’t
even there!
Why?
LOOK TWICE – Save a Life!
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Turning Across Traffic
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Smaller profile makes motorcycles harder to see
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Typical comment – “I didn’t see him!”
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Drivers accustomed to looking for cars, trucks, SUVs, etc.
Affects perception of distance and speed.
Look Twice!
Take an additional second to judge speed and distance.
Drivers have less time to execute turn than expected.
High incidence of car – motorcycle crashes.
What other factors might contribute to a crash
when a driver is making a left turn?
LOOK TWICE – Save a Life!
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Right Turn at Intersection
Single headlight and
narrow profile make it
difficult to judge distance
and speed of the
oncoming motorcycle.
Failure to yield
Right-of-Way!
What are the
possible results?
LOOK TWICE – Save a Life!
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Left Turn at Intersection
Similar situation with a
left turn, but now driver
is concerned about
crossing another lane of
traffic first.
Again, failure to yield the
Right-of-Way!
What actions can
drivers take to avoid
this?
LOOK TWICE – Save a Life!
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Turning at Intersections
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Failure to yield right-of-way … “I didn’t see …”
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Again, Look Twice! How long can it take?
Unexpectedly pulling out in front of a motorcycle
leaves the rider too little time to react.
A motorcycle traveling at the posted speed
meets vehicle accelerating from a stop.
What other factors might contribute to
a crash when a driver is making a turn
into traffic?
LOOK TWICE – Save a Life!
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Blind Spots
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Areas of the road that cannot be seen while
looking forward or in the rear-view or side
mirrors.
Blind spots can easily hide a motorcycle in a
traffic scene.
It only takes a “blind” instant for a driver to turn
in front of a motorcycle.
The deadly results from these moments can
change the lives of those involved forever!
LOOK TWICE – Save a Life!
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Blind Spots
How many blind spots
can you identify?
Did you see that coming?
LOOK TWICE – Save a Life!
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Blind Spot at Intersection
Same left turn
intersection with addition
of blind spot interfering
with driver’s view of the
motorcycle.
Failure to yield right-ofway due to the Blind
Spot!
What actions can you
take to avoid this?
LOOK TWICE – Save a Life!
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Blind Spots
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Look for cars & motorcycles possibly hidden in
blind spots before making your decision to
move.
Blind spots are typically found over the shoulder
– behind and to each side – of a moving vehicle.
Make a point to move with caution through
another vehicle’s blind spot for your own safety.
Be aware when you are in someone’s blind spot
– they can’t see you, and others can’t see you.
LOOK TWICE – Save a Life!
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Components of Stopping
Any Motor Vehicle
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Bringing a vehicle to a complete stop includes
3 components:
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Perception – seeing a hazard and recognizing the
need to brake (up to 0.75 seconds).
Reaction – time to move foot to brake pedal (up to
0.75 seconds).
Execution – distance required to bring the vehicle
to a halt (numbers below).
LOOK TWICE – Save a Life!
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Comparison of Vehicle
Stopping Distances
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Stopping Distances 60 – 0 mph (no reaction time
included)
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Bike: 105 – 140’
Car: 119 – 139’
• Quick stopping motorcycle stops 14’ shorter than a quick car!
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SUV: 134 - 173’
• Most SUVs will plow right through the motorcycle and rider!
LOOK TWICE – Save a Life!
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Safe Space Cushion
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Perception/Reaction distance + Stopping
distance = Safe Space Cushion.
Minimum spacing for a car following a
motorcycle should be at least 3 seconds.
Allow more time between vehicles if you drive a
truck, SUV or should weather & road conditions
dictate.
If your vehicle travels further while
stopping than the motorcycle in front of
you, what can we expect to happen?
LOOK TWICE – Save a Life!
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Unsafe Following Distance
• Both vehicles are traveling the posted speed – 55mph
• The car is ½ second (40+’) behind the sidecar in deer country
What happens when the
sidecar rider encounters
an emergency situation?
That’s gonna hurt!
LOOK TWICE – Save a Life!
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Too Close to Be Safe
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Even a small ‘bump’ into the back of a motorcycle can
have devastating effects.
Drivers following too closely:
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Eliminates safe space cushion
Shortens available reaction time
Increases chances of a rear end collision
Eliminates emergency choices for motorcyclist
What other factors might contribute to a crash
when a driver does not follow at a safe
distance?
LOOK TWICE – Save a Life!
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Summary
We have talked about the following topics:
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GWRRA & Motorist Awareness
What is “Share the Road!”
Hazardous Driving Scenarios
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Turning Across Traffic
Turning at Intersections
Blind Spots
Unsafe Following Distance
LOOK TWICE – Save a Life!
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LOOK TWICE – Save a Life!
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GOLD WING ROAD RIDERS
ASSOCIATION
Motorist Awareness Division
THANK YOU!
And Please - LOOK TWICE!
October 2008
LOOK TWICE – Save a Life!
30