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The car that turns across you

One of the most common motorcycle crashes is a car turning left or pulling out in front of the bike. A motorcycle is narrow, and it is hard to judge the speed of something coming straight at you. The driver often thinks there is plenty of time. Work out how little time there really is, and be ready to brake.

t = \dfrac{s}{v}

the time until you reach the car

Symbols

$s$	distance to the car	m
$v$	your speed	m/s

Example

A car is waiting to turn left 100 m ahead. You are riding at 80 km/h ( $v \approx 22$ m/s).

$t = 100 / 22 \approx 4.5$ s. If the car starts to turn now, you have less than five seconds.

Watch the car's wheels. If they start to roll, the driver is going, even if they are looking your way.

Practise visibility and interaction for free →

← Blind spots · Gap to the vehicle ahead →

Part of Motorcycle licence (A1, A2, A): Visibility and interaction.