To Reduce Traffic And Increase Safety
Despite the superior protection that quality leather motorcycle gear bestows on a rider, the first factor of motorcycle safety still lies with the rider and the interaction with other drivers on the road. Respecting all users of the public roadways should be an obvious rule of thumb - yet in today's world our highways are saturated with hot-head (and distracted) drivers.
Simply respecting our fellow drivers (and riders) would be a huge step towards improving the driving experience for more reasons than one might think. In addition to reduced tempers and improved safety, driving courteously has the added effect of improving commute times!
A car is on the freeway on ramp - he is accelerating to meet the speed of the surrounding traffic. Click..click..click..click... His turn signal is on and his head is cocked all the way to the left - hoping for an opening from a friendly motorist. No such opening comes up - the driver has no choice but to cut off the next rapidly approaching vehicle.
Driver that is cut off slams on his brakes which in turn causes the driver behind him to slam on his brakes... and so on. This ripple effect is exponentially increased due to the sheer amount of drivers on the road at any time. Add enough drivers at one time (the commute home from work) and the pace of traffic comes to a grinding halt. Letting your fellow driver merge in front will not only increase safety but just may decrease your time spent in congestion.
Speeding up to follow the vehicle in front may seem like a faster way to reach your destination - but in reality (and congested traffic situations) this may be the last thing a socially conscious driver wants to do as this leads to the same ending as the merging situation. Most drivers are instinctively trained to step on the brake when seeing brake lights up ahead. Rapidly speeding up to catch up to the vehicle in front then touching the brakes is simply not efficient. Maintaining a steady pace with good following distance will help a driver avoid touching the brakes (and setting off the taillights) and consequently streamlining the flow of traffic.
Always remember the golden rule of the highways - Slow drivers stay to the RIGHT. Following this simple mantra can alleviate much of the anger and frustration on the roadways. Many drivers and motorcyclists are comfortable driving at a faster pace than most - staying out of the fast (left most) lane will keep unnecessary braking to a minimum.
Keeping these simple tips in mind can greatly speed up the commute for you and others sharing the road. We all play a part in the way traffic congestion behaves on our busy roadways and we everyone needs to do their duty in reducing the traffic we all know too well.
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