Commentary: One motorcycle rider’s experience

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Brent A. Riffel
  • 373rd Training Squadron, Detachment 16
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, New Mexico --  It's 6:30 a.m. and as the garage door opens, I roll out my trusty two-wheeler. Grabbing my safety gear, I go through my usual Tuesday morning routine, mash the starter button and roll out to head for work. 

Cruising through housing toward the Gibson Gate, the roads are dry, temperature is mild, and the sun is rising behind me for another fine sunny day in the southwest. Little did I realize as I passed through the Gibson Gate to get to the west side of the base, in about 20 seconds my life would pass before my eyes. 

Riding in the left lane, I approached the intersection of Gibson and Louisiana. Traffic wasn't too bad; three or four cars sat waiting on either side of Louisiana, and I had a green light in my favor. One car was sitting in the left-hand turn lane coming the opposite direction from me. 

In 0.2 second from the time I entered the intersection is where my heart rate went from idle to about 150 beats per minute. Just as I crossed into the intersection, the driver of the vehicle in the oncoming left lane decided to execute her left turn in front of me. Going 35 mph, I had no time to respond to the driver's action. 

The powers that be must have decided to spare me that morning however, and at the last second that driver just happened to see me coming and stopped half-way into my lane. By the time my brain registered what was happening and I started to swerve out of the way, I could have easily reached out and touched the hood of her vehicle as I whisked by. It was that close. 

My first reaction was fear, followed by anger, wondering why on earth she didn't see me coming. After running the scenario through my head over and over, I finally understood what had happened. As a driver, a motorcyclist is nothing more than a thumbprint in the view in front of you. Couple that with the morning sun shining in your face in the horizon. There's your recipe for potential disaster. The driver in the oncoming lane in front of me didn't see me at all until it was too late. 

As an avid riding enthusiast of 21 years, I'm always looking for improved ways to handle traffic and riding conditions so I can continue to enjoy it for many years to come and stay in one piece along the way. There are several things I could have done to help prevent the possible incident I faced that morning: 

· Since there are three lanes at that intersection, the best place to position yourself is in the middle lane. Riding in the middle lane gives you more options for a way out, either to the right or left of you. 

· If there are less than three lanes (even if there's only one), try to read the situation ahead of time and prepare for it. If there's a vehicle next to you, ride next to them through intersections and use them as a physical barrier. 

· Ride with your bright lights on, even in the daytime. Wearing brightly colored clothing helps; reflective material is even better. 

My number one lesson from the circumstances leading to me nearly getting smeared on the pavement that morning is to never assume people see you, even if you think you're plainly in the open and can't be missed. One more foot of that car into my lane that morning could have easily made me another unfortunate statistic in a Kirtland resident accident report. 

If you've got sunrise or sunset to your back, take careful consideration that oncoming drivers may not see you. Make it a habit to scan the road for potential problems as you ride and adjust your position accordingly. With that said, be safe out there and enjoy the ride!