By Maria Brierley, CVAM Group Secretary
 

Advanced motorcyclists have oodles of it, don't we? We aim to be polite to other road users by, for example, giving them space, letting them out, not causing them to change course or brake unnecessarily as a result of any maneouvre that we make etc.

But the thing is, often the frustrations experienced by the ordinary car driver are many and far in excess of any experienced by motorcyclists. So with a slower driver in front, the (advanced) motorcyclist waits for the right conditions before overtaking. “Safe and legal” often setting the advanced motorcyclist apart from other riders on the road. However, often the same opportunities do not exist for the car driver and this is where the frustrations start. It could be said then that car drivers need to aquire and demonstrate far more patience and consideration to other road users than motorcyclists.

If you are an advanced motorcyclist then I expect like me you try and apply what you know when you're out in the car.
Here's the admission then!! :-O
I recently locked the front wheels on my car coming down Burrington Coomb (BC) while braking fully on the last tight bend towards the bottom!

The facts:
I was returning from a day trip that had me up at 5 a.m. with a 2 hour journey both ways. I had been outside all day (deep sea fishing!) and was still swaying a bit. I was intent on getting home, one kid still to feed. It was now dark and I was becoming aware of a growing impatience with day trippers who were not so happy with driving home in the dark. The car in front had been driving at between 20-35 m/p/h all the way down BC, braking before and around the corners.
Lets be honest, my impatience was leading me to get closer and closer. On the last bend, the car in front braked suddenly and right into the bend as he met another car coming the other way. I put my foot to the floor and the front wheels locked as I veered off the road to the left over the kerb and onto the mud. As I eased off the pedal, I steered the car back onto the tarmac and seemed to carry on without, luckily, hitting anything.

The analysis:
I was too close to the car in front for the conditions (dark, wet, slippery road surface and bends.)
I was too impatient with the driver in front, not driving considerately and compromising my driving style.
I was tired and was making bad decisions.

The lesson learnt:
Yes, I am shamefaced and I should know better. This was regressive not progressive driving and could have ended in an accident. I ended my little experience by signalling Right-Left-Right in order to apologise to the driver in front and indicate that I was ok, and to thank the driver behind for now keeping a huge distance between us. Back to basics then, I need to respect other car drivers and keep my distance.

So I guess this is where I should stand down from being secretary for being a bad girl isn't it?
Is now also a good time to mention that I have written an article on advanced driving for my walking club who do a lot of car sharing! See HERE

Maria Brierley, CVAM Group Secretary.

Comment:
Two good little articles Maria! Both thoughtful and well written.

There's no question of you having to resign your post because you've 'transgressed', quite the opposite in my view. You analysed the causes of your little slip, recognising that we all make mistakes, and have tucked the lessons away so that they don't repeat themselves. All the attributes of an advanced rider or driver who never stops learning ;-)

One of the great pitfalls for 'advanced' drivers and riders is to think that they are faultless and are out there to demonstrate their prowess to the lesser beings around them. Pride comes before a fall..........
Nick Schroeter, CVAM Chief Observer



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