Photo: NPAS_Redhill
I’m sure some of you have heard another rider saying he had to lay his bike down and skid in an emergency situation to avoid serious injury. Well, that’s one of the most stupid things to do before a crash, and only this UK rider here can say he really had to “lay ‘er down” to avoid a bridge.
Deliberately dropping your motorcycle in the event of an incoming crash in order to part with it and try avoid injuries is plain dumb and only comes from inexperienced riders who believe being cutting off by a vehicle is the end of the world.
Why, you ask? Because as long as you’re on your bike, you can still brake and steer (provided you aren’t paralyzed with fear, reason for which you should stay off a bike), increasing your chances to either stop, avoid or at least mitigate the collision.
Lay it down and you become an uncontrollable mass, spinning and sliding towards that said obstacle, with nothing else to act as brakes as your own arse sliding on the asphalt.
Lecture aside, here’s one rider in the UK that had a legitimate reason to drop his motorcycle and skid - a damn bridge collapsed right in front of him, leaving only a tiny gap underneath to go through.
The incident happened on the M20 highway, just south of London, when a semi-truck smashed a pedestrian bridge, causing it to collapse onto another truck in the vicinity of which the motorcyclist was riding.
Not having enough time to brake, nor avoid it, since it was blocking the whole road, the rider got inspired enough to jump off of his bike and slide under the fallen bridge, managing to avoid a deadly impact with the solid concrete.
Reports say he sustained some damage to his ribs (broken or bruised, not specified exactly) and the medics expect him to make a full recovery. Judging by this and the fact he was doing highway speeds before the moment of accident suggest he was properly geared.
Why, you ask? Because as long as you’re on your bike, you can still brake and steer (provided you aren’t paralyzed with fear, reason for which you should stay off a bike), increasing your chances to either stop, avoid or at least mitigate the collision.
Lay it down and you become an uncontrollable mass, spinning and sliding towards that said obstacle, with nothing else to act as brakes as your own arse sliding on the asphalt.
Lecture aside, here’s one rider in the UK that had a legitimate reason to drop his motorcycle and skid - a damn bridge collapsed right in front of him, leaving only a tiny gap underneath to go through.
The incident happened on the M20 highway, just south of London, when a semi-truck smashed a pedestrian bridge, causing it to collapse onto another truck in the vicinity of which the motorcyclist was riding.
Not having enough time to brake, nor avoid it, since it was blocking the whole road, the rider got inspired enough to jump off of his bike and slide under the fallen bridge, managing to avoid a deadly impact with the solid concrete.
Reports say he sustained some damage to his ribs (broken or bruised, not specified exactly) and the medics expect him to make a full recovery. Judging by this and the fact he was doing highway speeds before the moment of accident suggest he was properly geared.
Google News