Safety First

Especially important at this time of year when the country roads are full of tractors and combine harvesters. These are huge these days and take up at least 3/4 of the road. I nearly got taken out in my car the other day on a twisty local road, but luckily I had slowed down in anticipation of meeting something and managed to brake and swerve into a drive, no way the tractor was going to stop in time.
It was the same place I came across a tractor versus car accident on the bike a few weeks earlier. Again I had slowed down for the twists and just clocked a fleeting glimpse of some brake lights on a car a little way in front so slowed a bit more. As i came round the blind corner there was a stationary queue of traffic and I managed to stop safely.

 

I am not a fast rider. In fact I don't ride my 955 anywhere near the rev range it was built for...but it doesn't matter if you ride at 10mph or 100mph...you should always be able to stop within the distance you can see.

 

In single track lanes you should be riding/driving at a speed where you can stop in HALF the distance you can see to be clear, especially at this time of year with all the large and unforgiving agricultural vehicles about. Just look at some of the tractors with fore end loaders and tines on the front. - Makes me shudder to think what could happen if you hit one of those.

 

A great reminder that blind bends are not your friend. I had a moment last week in the Yorkshire Dales on a blind very tight left hand bend where I met a car coming the other way. Did give me a scare and luckily I had slowed to a speed which allowed me to avoided said car. Be careful out there guys