Are motor cyclists are the safest drivers?

[Bucknaked]

Originally Posted by fitzwa

Definetly made me more aware as a driver.

On a bike your riding as though every cager is trying to kill you. Sounds silly but its true.

Very true. I think as its been said riders need to be more focused and aware of conditions and everyone around them. With only 3 or 4 years experience I do find that I'm learning more each time I ride. How can I do things better next time. Drivers are mostly unaware of anyone else except for themselves. for them I guess it's more about getting from point a to b, riders wants to make it to point b.

[radler]

some are, but any driver with proper driver or rider training is likely to be generally more aware.

my awareness improved significantly after I rode bikes, but this was supported with rider training. I was very unaware before that.

subsequent driver training has shown me that awareness is as much a part of driver training as with rider training.

I was a very very bad driver when I first got my license.............brash, aggressive, disrespectful, limited technique, a poor skill set and a bad attitude,,,,,,,insane yes....but sane now some years later.....

still prone to errors but risk is arguably lower....because of improved awareness and driving skill set........

the biggest thing awareness taught me was that I seriously needed to change my attitude...I try to maintain that every time I get in the car these days....

[XBROO]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

Maybe not "better", but most likely I'd go for being generally more "aware"...

I've found that since I started riding a bike back in '88 that I began looking at the person behind the wheel of a car waiting to pull out into traffic/come through a give way sign/etc, and also where their front wheels are pointed, rather than just simply looking at thier indicators. "That guy isn't looking my direction at all...I think he might pull out in front of me after that car coming the other way goes past", kind of thing.

You have to be more aware and probably have a higher skill level on average than the average car driver...your life depends on it, full stop.

Just got back on a bike, but I totally agree with what you are saying.

[prydey]

i'm not a motorcyclist so i can't speak from experience, but i think possibly it just forces you to be more aware as a driver. this is not to say that some car drivers don't exhibit that same kind of awareness without ever having ridden a bike.

which is why i don't agree with it as a blanket statement. i'm sure there are some bike riders who turn back to 'car mode' when they hop in their car. maybe even go the other way thinking they are much safer in their cuccoon and so don't need to have the same level of concentration.

[castellan]

Originally Posted by Bridgette01

Do you agree, responsible people that ride or have ridden on the road can see potential hazzards( behind the wheel ) before they happen better then people that have never ridden on the road. Is this true? What do you think.

Basically they should be more likly to be able to but not all.

I ride an endureo bike and hazards will pop up all the time you just have to be quick with your reactions and on the ball ready to tackle what comes, a bit like fighting one may have a black belt so to say in the art of it.

I know people who are up there with the best riders but in a car they are not very good at all as they drive rubbish and have no interest in cars at all and have no idea really what to do with a car.

Safe and responsible does have little to do with ones ability as an 100 year old could be just that.

[Jim Goose]

Percentage wise I rarely see people on road bikes "hooning" or acting stupid on the road.... I see more stupidiy from trail bike riders.

But compared to car drivers, i would say motor bike riders "appear" to behave better on the roads. They certainly DONT tailgate! (only one guy on a trail bike used to do it to me on a regular basis as we both went the same direction each morning).

[prydey]

Originally Posted by Jim Goose

Percentage wise I rarely see people on road bikes "hooning" or acting stupid on the road.... I see more stupidiy from trail bike riders.

But compared to car drivers, i would say motor bike riders "appear" to behave better on the roads. They certainly DONT tailgate! (only one guy on a trail bike used to do it to me on a regular basis as we both went the same direction each morning).

this thread is about bike riders driving cars. its not about riding bikes. i think there are a few who have the wrong idea of what this thread was about.

thats my take on it anyway.

[geckoGT]

Originally Posted by prydey

this thread is about bike riders driving cars. its not about riding bikes. i think there are a few who have the wrong idea of what this thread was about.

thats my take on it anyway.

Kind agree here. The topic is does experience on a bike translate to better driving in a car through better hazard perception and risk reduction? The topic is not the riding habits of motorcyclists. I do understand the the behaviour of motorcyclists on their bikes may be indicative of their attitude and therefore an element that is worthy of some discussion but let's ensure our comments can be directly related back to the topic.

[Road_Warrior]

Originally Posted by prydey

i'm sure there are some bike riders who turn back to 'car mode' when they hop in their car.

Guilty.

Conversely when I straddle the bike and take off all the motorcycle-related skill sets etc come flooding back - it's like a switch gets flicked.

[BLDNUT01]

i know since i got my bike license about 4mths ago and i,m 35 i,d say i,m a lot more alert when driving my car but there is so much more to learn and adapt to on the bike

[vanman_75]

Yep ...we are awesome ! Jokes . I reckon I'm a lot more aware also , but then I have been riding all my life , so not sure if I would be any worse without that knowledge or not . I see a bloody lot of people that should not be on the road at all ,no matter what they are in . I know this might be rude , but if your 4 foot nothing why do these people buy cars they can't see out off , let alone see over the steering wheel ?

[2011G6E]

I think it also makes you a much better car driver.

My old man used to say that everyone should have thier bike licence for two years before being allowed to drive a car...that may be a bit extreme, but in some parts of the world (I'm looking at you India, Italy, and Indonesia), bikes are sometimes the first choice for a family vehicle or first form of transport instead of rushing out and buying a car.

In fact in some countries they used to actively encourage young people to start riding bikes as young as possible. I have a little 1965 Vespa 50/N Sports, and it's pretty damn basic...no battery, no indicators, no ignition switch, very cheap and basic. The reason it was built was that back then in Italy, if you were over 12 years old, and rode something of 50cc or less, you didn't need a licence, and the bike didn't need to be registered!
The advertising I have seen had a bunch of happy teens riding off on a picnic and the tag line said "No Licence, No Registration, No Worries!".

[munners]

Even when I'm in a car i still do a head check (look left & right) before taking off from a set of lights at an intersection. You learn to do that since there are no airbags or side intrusions beams on a bike - just shouders, arms, wrists etc which don't offer much impact protection! Next time you're a passenger in a car watch to see if the driver just waits for the green light then goes for it. Most people do. Thats just one thing I picked up from riding a bike and there there's a heap more.
I wouldn't say I'm a better or more aware driver than someone else, but I'm better and more aware than I would have been if I only ever drove a car.
Munners

[2011G6E]

Originally Posted by munners

Even when I'm in a car i still do a head check (look left & right) before taking off from a set of lights at an intersection. You learn to do that since there are no airbags or side intrusions beams on a bike - just shouders, arms, wrists etc which don't offer much impact protection! Next time you're a passenger in a car watch to see if the driver just waits for the green light then goes for it. Most people do. Thats just one thing I picked up from riding a bike and there there's a heap more.
I wouldn't say I'm a better or more aware driver than someone else, but I'm better and more aware than I would have been if I only ever drove a car.
Munners

Quite correct...you won't believe how little observaton you truly do in a car until you start riding a bike, and then hop back in a car. Head checks at every intersection, analysing the traffic to see who could be about to do something stupid, watching parked cars on the side of the road, not launching from a green light or even proceeding through a green light until you've at least had a little glance around, watching the mirrors a lot more, and just plain seeing, rather than looking.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

Quite correct...you won't believe how little observaton you truly do in a car until you start riding a bike, and then hop back in a car. Head checks at every intersection, analysing the traffic to see who could be about to do something stupid, watching parked cars on the side of the road, not launching from a green light or even proceeding through a green light until you've at least had a little glance around, watching the mirrors a lot more, and just plain seeing, rather than looking.

i've never ridden a bike and yet i've always done all those things. i'm not alone there either. whilst riding a bike may make you more aware, it doesn't mean you are better than someone who hasn't ridden a bike.

too much generalisation in this thread.

[Warface]

No way! I was driving today and there a few weaving in and out of the traffic, only wearing shots and a singlet? go figure

[2011G6E]

It's hard not to generalise when you have a look around the average stream of traffic.

I've also heard a good saying: The "average motorcyclist" realises and accepts that he isn't "the best there is", can always learn more skills, and looks for the opportunity to do so.
Unfortunately the "average car driver" is the complete opposite...thinking he's far better than he actually is...

[Ben73]

Nah. I reckon bus drivers are the safest drivers. How often do you see buses tailgating, changing lanes erratically, go flat out past everyone, and so on.
Pretty much never.
The ratio of idiots in cars & bikers is almost the same.

And you do not have to be a bike rider to be aware of traffic around you.

I personal never sit in blind spots, always look up the road instead of just at the end of my bonnet and look for red light runners when my light goes green.

It's just what I was taught. Probably helps my old man was a bike rider, but personally I have never rode one on the road.

[nstg8a]

Originally Posted by Ben73

Nah. I reckon bus drivers are the safest drivers. How often do you see buses tailgating, changing lanes erratically, go flat out past everyone, and so on.
Pretty much never.

lol, brisbane bus drivers must be the crazy clarks of bus drivers then, theyre shocking, almost as bad as taxi drivers.

[GT]

The OP was asking if those that start on bikes make future better drivers. This is NOT about bikes in the road.

I started with bikes from 13 and when I got my license at 15 I rode them until I got a car license at 20, as I could not afford a car. I had bikes on and off and at 36 went back and indulged and bought a couple of Harleys. Rode them until I came to Australia 8 years ago but must admit, I will never ride again and had lost my nerve a few years before I sold them.

I felt very vulnerable on the road and much of the other traffic is careless with biker safety. Saying that, I have noticed many riders are stupid on bikes and are less worried than I ever was about how much it might hurt if I came off.

I am a very aware driver and the bike phase gave me a huge insight to safety and vulnerability and taught me respect for how fragile life can be. I am also aware of bikers and very careful to give them room but often wish I could pull some over and give them the 'Mother' talk. They are accidents waiting to happen. NOT ALL BIKERS KILLED ON OUR ROADS ARE AT FAULT!

Certainly taught me well and I attribute much of my road sense to my years on a bike.

Gaela

[FTe342]

Have had a bike license for years but haven ridden for years either. However, can imagine what its like with the volume of traffic these days.
I recently became a fuel tanker driver, encountering freeway, suburban and inner city traffic. My observations so far are that, female "experienced" red plate drivers (you can tell the apprehensive new P plate drivers by the way they will jam on the brakes 30 metres out from an orange light even though they have 50 tons of fuel tanker behind them {that they don't even know is there** AND the "I have been doing it for a year now" highly experienced green P plate drivers that have learnt to dive from one lane to another with just one flick of the blinker and take up your braking space. A flick of the lights brings the obligatory "one finger salute" and a tirade of abuse out the window after you have signified " you really shouldn't do that girly" if you want to see tomorrow with your car full of teeny bopper friends!

The overhead signs in Sydney of late are reminding motorists to "check twice for motor cyclists" but motor cyclists would do well to " read the traffic" ahead of them - in Sydney or anywhere else - especially for P platers

[J_Putz]

Are motor cyclists are the safest drivers?
No.

[fmc351]

Originally Posted by nstg8a

lol, brisbane bus drivers must be the crazy clarks of bus drivers then, theyre shocking, almost as bad as taxi drivers.

I was gonna say the same, local bus runs anyway. Its almost like they only employ the 'drivers' who fail the tests.

[GT]

Originally Posted by fmc351

I was gonna say the same, local bus runs anyway. Its almost like they only employ the 'drivers' who fail the tests.

Way off topic guys and there is a price to pay for that. Back to the subject ot leave it alone.

[nstg8a]

Originally Posted by GT

Way off topic guys and there is a price to pay for that. Back to the subject ot leave it alone.

sorry, i thought discussing who was the safest was on topic?

[GT]

When people start to compare Bus drivers to Taxi drivers and how crazy they all are, the thread is going downhill nowhere fast.

The thread is about whether Bike Riders make good drivers.

Are you assuming that all drivers start on bikes and therefore the thread becomes a grading system for what people drive (ie Taxis, Buses, cars etc) and how crazy/not crazy they are?

I do not believe this was the thought process behind the thread that was started.

Gaela

[IDT]

The question is do Motorcycle riders make better Car drivers? The answer is no! They may be a little more aware of motorcycles than someone who has never ridden in traffic but that doesn't make them any better than the average driver. To say otherwise would be like saying people who have been in an accident are safer drivers than those who never have because they understand the consequences.

[Bridgette01]

I thought I asked the question "responsible people that ride or have ridden on the road can see potential hazzards( behind the wheel ) before they happen". Perhaps not better drivers as you say, but safer. I guess it comes down to ones interpretation

[prydey]

Originally Posted by Bridgette01

I thought I asked the question "responsible people that ride or have ridden on the road can see potential hazzards( behind the wheel ) before they happen". Perhaps not better drivers as you say, but safer. I guess it comes down to ones interpretation

anticipation is not unique to those who choose to ride bikes.

those in this thread that ride bikes seem to believe that they aquire a unique set of skills that car drivers can't achieve without riding a bike. sorry, that is incorrect. as a bike rider, you will be more aware of your own vulnerability, but it doesn't mean that when you hop behind the wheel of a car, you have a better skill set than someone who has never ridden a bike.

[Altern XR6]

Yep...! they do.

I've been a bike rider all my life. Dirt was first and best, road bike later with gusto. I've noticed the difference with riders that have not played in the dirt and blokes professing to ride like a Stoner. Dirt Rules... Most ride once every month if that!. New shoes-cloths on, great bling, bling. It dissapoints me when mouths are bigger than the riding ability. That goes for car drivers I've meet that have not done speedway. I usually talk to blokes with wrinkled belts and seasoned clothing on.

It's all in the way that you like something, if you love something you learn all about it and do it. Good learning develops habits that will last a long time. Most people are fashion followers without skills nowadays and don't know how to swing a spanner, dont have enough time to enjoy the art of riding or driving, way to busy fixing dates and fixing bluetooth, DVD, picking up kids at 9/3.00clock (mad time to be out on a bike) etc, way to busy and not capable of multitasking let alone drive.

BTW, a lowered car does not handle better, if the suspension points are not altered. Henceforth accidents will happen if people are not capable in the first place. .

So much police money spent on speed cams and not enough on young driver education. "WOTS wrong with this Picture" (no money revenue) Far out! I'd love it as a wednesday sport at school. Life learning skills are missing.

I love "dam fine machinery" with much power to do the trip. Watch out for tin cans is the main thing, looking at every spot on the road is an adventure and fun. It has been to me..!.

I got a SeXR6 recently because I'm getting on in longevity, i've seen a difference with drivers attit-dude with being on a bike and it's getting scary out there.

In my 58yo young mind now sitting in a car again and feeling safe after many years of not..! I still see every bike rider, can't you..?

Love Everything, Question Everything, than Walk/Ride/Drive Free.

Abiotic Oil...? search.