I wasn't against @Sprocker, so you don't have to be with him. This is the point, the advanced riding doesn't perscribe that you perform X action, you decide the action based on wanting to remain safe in the situation you are observing. Your reaction always changes based on what you can see. You also make well the point that no single source is the be all and end all of how to ride. Roadcraft being police based does assume you are on bike with flashing blue lights, visibility is assumed. If moving laterally is best, you should do that. If you can see the back of the drivers head though, you probably want to try something else like the horn. To be clear I wasn't advocating flashing the car, it's just one of many possible tools you have to communicate with other road users. Bikesafe is the police short taster for advanced riding it aims to provide as much as it can in a short time to improve safety. Both RoSPA and IAM training are built off the Roadcraft manual which the police (so Bikesafe) use, the difference being those courses have around 10 sessions in which to teach all of the contents rather than a few hours to cover the most critical.
In general, I'll move laterally away from the junction where the driver is waiting (towards the centre-line, if the car's at a nearside junction). But Malcolm Palmer's Z-line is good food for SMIDSY thought:
On test a lorry was stopped for whatever reason, just before a blind right hand bend. As far as I could see the road was clear, so proceeded slowly as close to the lorry as was safe. As I was level with the cab 2 transit vans came hooning around the bend, fortunately there was space for us both. Had I been in a 4 wheeled vehicle it would have been a 3 vehicle pile up. You cannot legislate for those who can’t or are are incapable of driving in a safe manner.
My lad failed his driving test because, on exiting a roundabout that was two lanes and he held his rhs lane a van came from the side and undertook him. He was doing 25. It was 30mph limit. Wanker van drivers have a lot to answer for
The IAM (often celebrated for making hi-viz fashionable) has moved on. Y-fronts are 'out' for the modern IAM member. This season, boxer shorts are 'in'.
You need to add on a good 10st to represent the average motorcyclist. Plus those shorts would be poorly fitting and a good 10yrs out of date.
No we don’t, we drive how we like and won’t be held up by anyone we is mint. Even the driver examiner agreed hence your lad failed the test, if only your lad would have accelerated harder as he realised the van was racing him. Unwritten rule for me I’m always racing in me van until I’m left behind and then I wasn’t racing.
I had a ride out with a local guy to me in Thanet. Cost me his fuel and breakfast. Ex police rider his facebook page is Ride safer. I learnt loads in a couple of hours, position anticipation etc. Stuff I thought i was reasonable at and we really pushed on. Overtaking was encouraged. I got a detailed write up after and it was generally positive about my riding which was pleasing. It is worth doing, if only for a good sociable ride out.
I’d say ping andyb a line as he does this for a living but some may find the temptation to push him off at lights too high
Mark9 post made me think that I do have a horn - whether the street seeking driver would have taken any notice or, as happened to me in slow mo traffic as a driver was using a mobile phone and gradually drifted towards me - pipped him -he panics and swerves all over the road - I may consider using it in some situations where I hadn't before.
If you don't like the idea of the IAM, try RoSPA they train from the same book but are smaller and from the groups I've encountered are looking to improve the thinking rider. Most groups offer free assessments and at worst you will have a nice ride for a couple of hours. Maybe they will give you something to think about that you hadn't before or maybe they won't. But take what you learn and add it to your skill set, doesn't matter if you get a stuffy certificate at the end of it.
