Riding a motorcycle on motorways ( part four )
Posted by Howard Trott on Tuesday, September 6, 2016 Under: Motorcycle Riding Skills
Overtaking
Leave a safe distance between you and the vehicle you intend to overtake. Use the appropriate parts of the OSM/PSL routine. For example: Observation - Check behind you to verify the speed, course and position of the following traffic. Position - Position yourself so that you can see well past the vehicle in front. Speed - Make sure you're going fast enough or can accelerate quickly enough to overtake without blocking any vehicle coming up behind you. Look - Look ahead and behind to check if there's anything preventing you from overtaking safely. For example, a lane closure ahead, or traffic coming up much faster from behind in the right-hand lane. Try to anticipate if the vehicle ahead will move out to overtake.
Remember - Look - Assess well ahead - Decide don't rush - Act but only when you're sure it's safe.
Pulling out - Take a 'Lifesaver' glance into the blind spot before moving out smoothly into an overtaking lane. Cancel your signal - Overtake as quickly and safely as possible. As you overtake a large goods vehicle, bus or coach expect to be buffeted by the changing air pressure. Don't ride too close to the vehicle you're overtaking.
Moving back left - Pass the vehicle and move back into the left as soon as you're sure it's safe to do so. Don't cut in too soon in front of the vehicle you've just passed. Look for any vehicles about to move out into the lane you intend to move into.
On busy motorways - If you come up behind traffic moving more slowly than you are when you're overtaking. Be patient and don't - Intimidate the driver ahead by repeatedly flashing your headlight and riding dangerously close behind - Filter between fast moving lanes of traffic.
Overtaking on the left - Never overtake on the left unless - The traffic is moving in queues and - The queue on your right is moving more slowly than the queue you are in. Ride defensively - Let faster traffic pass you - Don't move to a lane on the left to overtake - Never use the hard shoulder to overtake unless directed to do so by traffic signs at road works, or by police officers.
Leaving a motorway - Unless you're going going to the end of the motorway, you'll leave by moving left from the left-hand lane into the slip road. Get into that lane in plenty of time. Plan well ahead, particularly on three or four lane motorways.
Road signs
Use the road signs and markers to help you time your exit and use your mirrors and indicators appropriately. You'll have plenty of time to observe the signs and markers so there's no need to rush. On a three or four lane motorway, this could mean changing lanes more than once, and you should follow the DSM routine for each change of lane. One mile before the exit - A junction sign with road numbers, unless there are exits very close together. Half a mile before the exit - A sign with the names of places accessible from the exit. From 270 metres before the exit - Countdown markers at 270 metres, 180 metres and 90 metres before the start of the slip road.
Do
Use your mirrors and signal left in good time to move into the left-hand lane.
Don't
Move to the left more than one lane at a time - Cut across at the last moment, especially from the second lane of a three or four lane motorway.Occasionally, where motorways merge, there may be an exit just prior to the one you intend to take. In these cases, or where there are service areas near the exits, look well ahead for the advance warning signs. If you miss your exit, carry on to the next exit.
Leave a safe distance between you and the vehicle you intend to overtake. Use the appropriate parts of the OSM/PSL routine. For example: Observation - Check behind you to verify the speed, course and position of the following traffic. Position - Position yourself so that you can see well past the vehicle in front. Speed - Make sure you're going fast enough or can accelerate quickly enough to overtake without blocking any vehicle coming up behind you. Look - Look ahead and behind to check if there's anything preventing you from overtaking safely. For example, a lane closure ahead, or traffic coming up much faster from behind in the right-hand lane. Try to anticipate if the vehicle ahead will move out to overtake.
Remember - Look - Assess well ahead - Decide don't rush - Act but only when you're sure it's safe.
Pulling out - Take a 'Lifesaver' glance into the blind spot before moving out smoothly into an overtaking lane. Cancel your signal - Overtake as quickly and safely as possible. As you overtake a large goods vehicle, bus or coach expect to be buffeted by the changing air pressure. Don't ride too close to the vehicle you're overtaking.
Moving back left - Pass the vehicle and move back into the left as soon as you're sure it's safe to do so. Don't cut in too soon in front of the vehicle you've just passed. Look for any vehicles about to move out into the lane you intend to move into.
On busy motorways - If you come up behind traffic moving more slowly than you are when you're overtaking. Be patient and don't - Intimidate the driver ahead by repeatedly flashing your headlight and riding dangerously close behind - Filter between fast moving lanes of traffic.
Overtaking on the left - Never overtake on the left unless - The traffic is moving in queues and - The queue on your right is moving more slowly than the queue you are in. Ride defensively - Let faster traffic pass you - Don't move to a lane on the left to overtake - Never use the hard shoulder to overtake unless directed to do so by traffic signs at road works, or by police officers.
Leaving a motorway - Unless you're going going to the end of the motorway, you'll leave by moving left from the left-hand lane into the slip road. Get into that lane in plenty of time. Plan well ahead, particularly on three or four lane motorways.
Road signs
Use the road signs and markers to help you time your exit and use your mirrors and indicators appropriately. You'll have plenty of time to observe the signs and markers so there's no need to rush. On a three or four lane motorway, this could mean changing lanes more than once, and you should follow the DSM routine for each change of lane. One mile before the exit - A junction sign with road numbers, unless there are exits very close together. Half a mile before the exit - A sign with the names of places accessible from the exit. From 270 metres before the exit - Countdown markers at 270 metres, 180 metres and 90 metres before the start of the slip road.
Do
Use your mirrors and signal left in good time to move into the left-hand lane.
Don't
Move to the left more than one lane at a time - Cut across at the last moment, especially from the second lane of a three or four lane motorway.Occasionally, where motorways merge, there may be an exit just prior to the one you intend to take. In these cases, or where there are service areas near the exits, look well ahead for the advance warning signs. If you miss your exit, carry on to the next exit.
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