Words To Survive By

To all the seasonal riders...


It's that time of the year again, get out and ride! Circulating the
following reminder has been an annual tradition of the BMW Owners of Nova
Scotia for some years now. I have been sending it on to the list for a
couple of years.


                        WORDS TO SURVIVE BY


1.KNOW AND BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE INVISIBLE TO ALL OTHER DRIVERS.


2.When approaching any intersection, assume cars travelling in the opposite
direction are going to turn left and run over you. Be prepared to take
evasive action.


3.ALWAYS-ALWAYS have an escape route out of a situation to avoid the
consequences of other peoples' mistakes. Keep looking for the gap that you
can use when someone else screws up.


4.Adjust your speed to your reaction time. At the end of a tiring day it
will be much longer than it was on the way to work at 8:00AM, so ride with
bigger safety margins.


5.Check BOTH directions when the light turns green. Maybe only one time in
10,000 will someone run the light. For a high mileage rider that could be
more often than most.


6.Drivers that are using their car phones are not using their brains. Watch
out for them.


7.Mirrors are important. If they don't show anything but your elbows, buy
some that do. Always use your mirrors.


8.Use other people's mirrors, too. Look into the mirror of the car in front
of you. That way you can see where they are looking, and how attentive they
are. If you can see them, chances are better that they can see you.


9.Trucks and vans often have a hard time checking their right side blind
spot.


10.Slippery oil, antifreeze, and ATF look like water, particularly in low
light. Try to avoid all wet spots, but if you can't, ride over them
smoothly.


11.Check under (behind) parked cars. Those legs you see belong to a child
who may run out in front of you.


12.Anticipate the moves of other vehicles. Drivers don't always use their
turn signals in traffic, but you MAY be able to tell where they are going by
watching their heads turn just before they change lanes.


13.Treat all metal surfaces - train rails, bridge gratings, manhole covers -
with the utmost respect. They offer very little traction when dry, and
almost none when wet. Ride over them as smoothly as possible.


14.Ride in a gear that will allow you to accelerate quickly if you need to
get out of a tight spot.


15.Never lose your temper when riding....If you do, STOP, take a breather,
then resume your ride.


16.Always be on the lookout for, and expect, the unexpected.


17.Avoid racing with other motorists.


18.IF YOU'RE NOT SURE, DON'T!


        Courtesy of BMW Owners of Nova Scotia Motorcycle Club.