How To Handle Threats On The Road

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It’s hard to beat the freedom and thrill of a motorcycle ride, but that thrill comes with some risks. You’ll often face two major threats to your safety and the safety of those around you: animals and other people. Both can cause collisions or other accidents. While you can’t avoid these encounters entirely, you can take proactive steps to reduce your chances and make an encounter safer. We here at Mission City Indian Motorcycle® have put together some tips for handling these threats safely.

If you have more concerns or you’re looking for motorcycles for sale, stop on by our location in Boerne, Texas! Our friendly and knowledgeable staff is ready to answer your every question and find you exactly what you’re looking for.

Distracted Driving

We’ve all been there. It’s late, we’ve been driving for hours, and our mind gets a little unfocused. If you’re tired or trying to multitask, you may be endangering yourself and the people around you. If you think you can’t drive safely, find a place to stop and rest for a while.

Unfortunately, other drivers may be distracted as well, and you have no way of knowing if they’re sleepy, texting, or under the influence. You can’t very well tell them to pull over or get some sleep, so here are a few ways to minimize the risk from other drivers’ distractions.

Notice The Signs

If you notice a distracted driver, do your best to give them a wide berth. Change lanes, pass them, slow down, or generally do what you can to put plenty of distance between their car and your motorcycle. Distracted drivers could swerve into you or slam on their brakes unexpectedly, so keep your distance. If you’re not sure what signs to watch out for, some of them include:

Struggling to drive in a straight line. If you see a driver swerving back and forth, or even consistently drifting, they may not be at 100%.
Driving noticeably slower than the rest of traffic or slowing down at odd times.
Not using proper signalling, which can indicate they’re only using one hand to drive and the other hand is holding something else, like a phone or food.
Taking a long time to go at a green light, likely because they spent the red light checking their phone or doing something else.
The driver’s head is visibly angled downwards and they don’t seem to be trying to stay aware of their environment.

Defensive Driving

When other drivers aren’t being safe, you’ll have to compensate with extra caution. You’ll need to implement every defensive driving tactic you can think of. In case the other driver suddenly slams on their brakes, either unexpectedly or as a late response to a stoplight or stop sign, then you’ll be safest far back from them so that you have plenty of time to brake without colliding with them. Be wary about other motorists’ blind spots and do your best to stay out of them as much as is possible. Distracted drivers aren’t always going to look over their shoulder to make sure it’s safe to change lanes or merge, and you’ll need to stay a step ahead of them.

You should also keep a close eye on general traffic flow. For instance, when you see an exit coming up on the highway, watch out for the inevitable multi-lane-switch by drivers who forgot where they were going or who don’t know the area. Do your best to stay away from upcoming exits to make sure you’re not in this person’s way. Your goal is to predict where cars will be going so you can stay away from them.

Stay In Control

Staying in control of your motorcycle is obviously important, but staying in control of your emotions can be equally vital for safety. If you feel yourself getting heated, frustrated, or outright angry at other motorists, no matter how deserving they may be, it’s best to take a deep breath and focus on staying safe. Giving in to road rage only serves to compromise your own judgement and places you squarely in the “distracted driver” category, so stay cool!

Animals

Even with distracted drivers, you can sometimes predict how people will behave and react because, let’s face it, you’ve been there. But animals can also show up on the road in unexpected ways, and they can be harder to read. Here are a few steps for staying safe around them!

Learn High-Risk Times

If you know when animals are more likely to be present in the area, you’ll know better how to avoid them or watch for them. Deer, for example, are most active in October, November, and December, between dusk and midnight to avoid predators. Figure out what animals are near you and how they move, and keep an eye out for animal crossing signs for extra info.

Herds

Even if you manage to avoid one animal, if it’s something that travels in groups you’ll need to stay alert. Deer are a great example again, since they travel in small family units. If you spot one social animal on the road, keep an eye out for its friends!

Defensive Driving Again

Defensive driving isn’t just for other drivers. Staying aware of your surroundings and in control of yourself and your bike is vital at all times, so always drive as if you expect to see an animal on the road. Always cover the front brake so you’re ready to stop as soon as needed.

We hope you found our guide useful! For more information or other motorcycle needs, call on Mission City Indian Motorcycle®! We proudly serve San Antonio, Austin, and Corpus Christi, Texas, and we’re ready to serve you today!