Keep your distance! That should be your mantra each time you get to ride your motorcycle on the highway. You might feel like everything is under control, but it only takes some debris you can't see to take you down. Or a ladder...
The highway might seem a safer place than riding in the city when it comes to road debris. However, don't forget that some people are dumb and aren't securing their load properly. And there are chances something gets loose enough to fall out of their truck/van after the first bump.
Like this damn ladder that took this rider down in an instant. He was closely following a pickup truck, which started to brake suddenly and move out of the way. The rider might have thought it is changing lanes but got taken by surprise as he saw a metallic ladder laying ahead.
He started braking more, but target fixation installed quickly and the guy wasn't able to dodge the obstacle. He hit it and down he went. I'm pretty sure he was OK after the slide since he came and picked the bike up after a few seconds.
Still, by having the courage to post his misadventure, we can all learn a lesson here. Keep your distance and avoid being behind large vehicles that obstruct your view. You should scan the road ahead and look as far as you can to spot danger before you reach to it.
If you are forced to stay behind a larger vehicle, pay attention to the way it drives. If it suddenly makes a move to the left or right, you should be aware that it is dodging a pothole or something else, so try and ride in its tire track, not in the middle.
I also think this is another perfect example of why lane splitting should be legal everywhere. Riding in between lanes gives you a better view of what lays ahead, and you won't be squished in between two cars in case of emergency braking.
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