There is a lot of misunderstandings of what ABS is and what it does and more importantly, what it doesn't do. Let us discuss it with a listing of what I think are 3 facts and myths surrounding ABS and why it could save your life someday . ABS is Anti Brake-Locking System As the name implies, it prevents brake locks - the heart-stopping panicking moments of wheel locking up if we apply brake too suddenly. Brakes? Kinda are more important than the engine themselves. This can cause awesome skids which could be attractive if you are a stunt rider and are stunnting. Whereas, if you are trying to stop because you are riding head-on onto oncoming traffic; I have no clue why you would be; but that wouldn't spell good for you, so stopping the biking when you want it to stop is critical for riding. ABS is any system that prevents the wheel lock, by releasing the pressure on the brake disc, if it senses a wheel lock. This is done using motion sensors, which in turn
Indian roads, be it state, national highways, city roads or country roads, are all considered to be dangerous.
Given this state of condition and the location of where I live and work (on highways), I have to take extreme caution and situational awareness in surviving the roads in daily commute. And adding several long distance motorcycle rides every few months, I am literally battling the odds in a number game to avoid accidents and have survived so far without any major accidents **touch-wood**.
So with that level of authority, I can say that I am qualified to point a few methods and techniques that can be used to avoiding accidents on Indian Roads.
>>The Definition of the Word Accident:
"an unfortunate incident that happens unexpectedly and unintentionally, typically resulting in damage or injury." The word implies that it can happen to anyone, can't be predicted. Means, it could happen riding a motorcycle or driving a car, or even when you are sleeping where a fan could fall on you. The key take away from this post is not about how to prevent or avoid accidents completely. But to decrease the chance of accidents and if accidents happen, how to prevent major injuries.
>>It is not a question of IF you will have an accident, but it is WHEN!
Statistically speaking, there are only two types of people on road. Those who have had an accident, and those who are yet to have one. This isn't to scare you but to help you understand that even if you can't choose when you will have an accident, you can choose the type and nature of the accident.
When I started to learn to cycle, my mom always said "don't ride fast because if you fall down, you will get hurt more". The same can't more true for motorcycle. Therefore, prepare for the worst. Assume that the driver of the car before or behind you is drunk and expect them to make mistakes. Be ready to compensate for their mistake. If they do it, you will survive because you were prepared, if they don't make a mistake, you are still safe. This forms the crux for defensive driving.
This brings us to the part where I advise you to not DO STUPID THINGS ON ROAD, be realistic and your chance of survival increases by a leap just by this.
>>What are the things that I consider STUPID?
Any abnormal driving/riding pattern is what I consider as stupid. Abnormal to what, you ask? Abnormal to the road you are on. If you are on Autobahn where everyone is doing triple digit speeds and if you are doing double digits on the center lane- that is stupid. If you are country road in India that can have unmarked speed breakers and you are speed testing the machine- that is stupid.
When in Rome, be a Rome. Anyone riding less/more than +/-15% delta on a public road is a dangerous to once self. If average speed (not road-limit) is 80kmph, and you are doing 65kmph then everyone is going to be overtaking you from behind. This is stupid and more dangerous than riding at 85kmph. In this case, only outliers, people riding a lot faster than majority of vehicles on road will over take you. And you can see them on mirrors long before they reach your tail.
>>This brings us next Big change: LEAVE the DAMN MIRROR alone!
What and who is behind you is as important as what is before you. When my bike was brand new, the number of times a Swift, another motorcycle or even lorries has tailgated me just to see if the bike was as fast as it looks is just too damn high. Even otherwise, there is always a bigger fish in the sea who wants to overtake you. Let the bugger be and go. It is his choice. No harm in slowing down and letting people pass. Do it responsibly. And you cannot do that without the damn mirrors! So it really grinds my gears to see handlebars with odd-ineffective mirrors or no mirrors at all! Just learning to use mirrors increases your chance of survival by multiple folds!
>>Acknowledge that you are NOT the APEX machine on road.
In case of an accident: Bus vs motorcycle? Okay. Car vs motorcycle?? Okay, pedestrian vs motorcycle???? At least stray dog vs motorcycle???? Nope, you do not win any of these match ups. Just because of the form and factor. You are on a motorcycle because of the need for a cheaper transport or that you like the wind on your face feeling. The sacrifice is the safety. I cannot govern your economic needs or make you hate the open roads. But I can help you burn the thought onto your brain that you are not invincible! A 20L super bike still makes you fragile on road. In fact adds more risk as they are faster!
A large number of road accidents are avoided by the squid-y motorcyclists not because of his/her skills on road. But because car owners don't care and compensate for the bike rider's mistakes. If car drivers choose to be unapologetic, there would a lot more accidents.
>>Generic but Ideas that Actually work:
(1) Ride like a motorcycle but think like a car. Be agile but leave large spaces on the front and back. Make overtakes a car would make. If the space you see for overtake is only enough for a motorcycle, don't take it. Wait for larger gap.
(2) No one imagines a bike to be fast, not everyone has seen/been on a half liter bike. Especially around villages. So if you are riding a fast bike, consider the fact the villagers to not realize your "biking skills". Don't startle them by displaying your "skills". If they hit you, or if you hit them, the out come is all the same.
(3) On asphalt, ABS really does work. Stop with the macho talk of how great motorcyclist you are and that you are better than a computer at determining brake pressure. You don't know how dumb you sound to someone who understand IT.
(4) Obey traffic rules, identify those who don't obey (fellow cars/bikes on road) and stay away from them: literally.
(5) Avoid riding in the night. You can be more visible by wearing hi-viz, but the pit on the middle of the national highway wouldn't be wearing hi-viz jacket expecting you to hit it on triple digits.
(6) Wear good quality helmet always. This is a NO BRAINER (lol)! I remember a neighbor who fell down sitting on a parked motorcycle and died because he his head hit the pavement. Pot.Energy = mgh. 5feet height from where the head falls is enough to create irreversible trauma even from standstill in case you hit a stone or hard enough surface. If possible, always wear motorcycle jackets that are internationally rated. Largest contributor to fatalities are head or upper body injuries.
(7) Be predictable on Road. You are not a baboon on drugs. You are a civilized animal capable of holding a social standard and respect. Act like it on road. Others will be able to gauge your actions and will not endanger you.
(8) Gift from Dad, Wife, uncle, neighbor? Those stickers work better on your tank than tail. On the tank, you can see who it is from and think of them and your family. On the tail, no one sees or cares.
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My final thoughts are that your safety is your own responsibility. On road, no matter who makes the mistake, you could end up paying the price. So choose your battles. No reason to prove your motorcycling prowess to a stranger, or try saving 1 minute of travel time by making a risky overtake.
This is only a part 1 of a series that I plan to blog about. I will be writing about road-types and what are specific points to consider on those road types. And also an advanced practice exercise to increase situational awareness on road to identify threats and avoid them before they become a danger.
Keywords to Explore: Defensive Driving, Predictive Decision Making, Situational Awareness, Preparing for the Worst.
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