Look twice, save a life

[Big Orange Beast]

Your facebook post about Port Dover starting with 'look twice save a life' reminded me of my tour last summer. All the way through Indiana and Ohio, signs on lawns everywhere stated the same thing, with local riding association info added. Wonder if we can start something similiar in Ontario?

The statement reminded me of the M2 Exit course (or was is M1? - the final one, anyway) I took through Centennial College last June: we were instructed to signal, look, then look again before any lane changes/turns. What a great idea, thought I, and a technique I fully adopted. Saved me a couple times when my 1st look failed to accurately judge the speed of the cager coming up in next lane (401). Made me wonder: Why wasn't this advice offered in the intermediate license course I took through Humber College?

Speaking of the M2 Exit course... For testing purposes solely, we were required to wag our heads when checking for any and all that we should check for so that the instructors following in a cage could see that we were doing so. This made me re-train myself just for the test. I am a safety-first driver, and I did indeed see everything they wanted me to see, but did not remember to wag my head each time, instead of looking with just my eyes. I recall seeing a ped approaching a ped Xwalk and thinking about the point I just incurred because I had just seen him with my eyes, but had not done the head wag. The instuctor/tester seemed disgusted with me after the test (five points for not wagging my head - the only points!). I respectfully pointed out that I had seen all he thought I didn't, but with his response of "Pffft", I decided not to pursue it, specially since I had passed the test and didn't need the aggro. Didn't appreciate his attitude. I think the head wag could actually slow our ability to see all that we need to see out there... In an email exchange with Glen a few years ago he said that when he took the full M test for fun, the only points he got were from tester's inability to see where he was looking. I can totally see their point, but surely with today's technology there's a better way than the head wag. Anyone else dealt with this? Thoughts on the state of technology to eliminate this test requirement?

Perhaps this post should be 2 or 3 separate threads?

Cheers,
BOB

[Uwe W.]

Although sound advice for everyone on the road, I always thought that the "look twice" campaign was meant for car drivers. The point being that they never seem able to see motorcycles and should therefore look twice before doing anything.

[Big Orange Beast]

I do recall thinking that it was good advice for cagers, but a good thing for all on the road.

[Uwe W.]

This was what I was thinking of earlier when I mentioned the looking twice campaign was for car drivers:

Turn UP the volume a little before watching!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8o-u0RFtyGY

[slomoshun]

This was what I was thinking of earlier when I mentioned the looking twice campaign was for car drivers:

You can look as many times as you like but there`s no defence against the Kamikaze motorcyclist.:eek:
slo.

[STAL13]

Did the motorcyclist have his high beam on??

[Arbadacarba]

Did the motorcyclist have his high beam on??

There is a product called the Signal Dynamics Headlight Modulator, that causes the headlight to dim and brighten slightly (during daylight only - It has a light senser that shuts it down at night) creating a visual pulse in the headlights.

I've installed it on my bike, along with a tail light flasher that pulses the brake lights, and of course I have no way of knowing if it has prevented an accident. I do however regularly have to explain it to cage drivers who roll their windows down to tell me I have a Battery Problem.

I like the look on their faces when I tell them it helps to get peoples attention, and then point out to them that they paid attention to it.

Arbadacarba