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how to not get rear-ended at a red light?
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There have been a few mentions here lately about getting hit while
waiting at a red light.
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Should you happen to live in California, you can -and should- lanesplit
every chance you get. Simply pull in between the lines of cars that are
already stopped, and you will be shielded from any traffic that might be
coming up from behind you. It's perfectly legal out here.
If you *don't* live in California, you can get a lot of the same effect by
stopping in one lane, but pointing your bike between the cars ahead of you
and darting in there for cover if and when you see someone coming up behind
you who looks as if they're not going to be able to stop in time to avoid
hitting you.
This may or may not be interpreted as being strictly legal in your area, but
better to be illegal than to be squashed between bumpers. Much better.
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I'd rather be tried by twelve than carried by six.
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That's the danger that concerns me the most. When I'm moving I can
look ahead, anticipate, brake, evade, etc, but when I'm at a light I'm
a standing target. I watch my mirrors when I'm stopped, but I don't
really know how to tell the difference between someone coming up behind
who is braking late, and someone who is not going to stop. Here's what
I do:
bike in first gear
front brake on or flashing until a car is stopped behind me
bike positioned and angled so it won't hit the car in front if I'm hit
from behind
watch the mirrors
I haven't yet been hit at a light, so I don't know what someone coming
too fast looks like. How do you know? What do you do when you decide
they are coming too fast?
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You'll be able to tell when somebody is coming up too fast. Anytime I'm
stopped and a car comes up behind me I flash my brake light, just in
case. Always have an escape path in mind and don't stop right in the
center of the lane. If you're off to the side, it's easier to get out
of the way. When it looks like the car coming up behind you is going
too fast, just move forward and to the side, using your planned escape
path. And whenever you can, avoid being the last person stopped at a
light - move to the front of the line, or as far forward as you can, in
front of a few cars. Doing this may be illegal in some places with dumb
traffic laws (like in all of the US except for CA), but it's definitely
safer than being a sitting duck at the end of a line of stopped cars.
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The Sacramento (CA) PD and the Sac CHP have been recommending exactly that.
It's rude and feels like cheating, but it is safer unless the first guy in
line wants to tangle. I feel funny doing it on a big old Wing and I'm in no
hurry when i get to the city, but it is better than getting squooshed.
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Dave Wilson
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Actually, I never thought about moving to the head of the line to avoid
being rear ended. That's a pretty good idea, unless you get the cager you've
snaked outraged.
But there's really no easy answer here.
On a motorcycle at a red light, you are a target. Most cagers can't tell the
distance between you and them and the car in front of you. Because to them,
you don't exist. I try to be as visible as possible from the rear. Both of
my modern bikes have plenty of illumination on the back so the their rear
tail light doesn't get mistaken for the rear tail light of the cager in
front of me. The Harley is the best for this as I've turned the turn signals
into red rear lights, as well. It has always struck me as odd that the BMW's
have such great illumination in the front and just a tiny rear tail light. I
have mounted black reflectors on the hard bags on my BMW.
I used to stop to the far right or left of the cage in front of me (if I
couldn't snake my way forward), so an distracted cager would miss me if he
didn't see me. But, I've found that that position leaves the perfect
opportunity for some peanut headed asshole to squeeze me out or get into a
position where he could to run me into other cages, or off the road, when
the light changes.
I think the best thing that you can do is to be as visible as possible.
By the way, I hardly ever take my Brits' out at night due to their
inadequate lighting. I have no problem riding at night on the Harley or the
BMW though.
Good luck, be safe. Cagers suck.
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