Defensive Driving Tips and Techniques

A pre-ride checklist is a must every time you are about to take your motorcycle for a ride, but how many of us really do it every time? Here are the top ten things a motorcyclist should do regularly, especially if you’re one of the many who don’t make a pre-ride check every time you ride. All you need are some hand tools and basic mechanical ability. The more you know machine, the better will be your riding experience.
Check the fluids. Start with the engine oil. If it’s been a while since you’ve ridden, start the engine and let it run for about 5 minutes (fast idle is best - around 1500 RPM). This allows the oil pump to return any oil to the tank that may have seeped past the check ball in the pump, and it allows the oil to warm up slightly, giving you a more accurate check. Oil expands with heat, and your oil level will rise as the bike warms up. Check the oil in the correct position, with the bike to on the side stand or upright as recommended by the factory. Next, check the transmission oil level, following the correct procedure for your model. If your motorcycle has a wet clutch, check the primary oil level. Use Syntehtic motor oil. I prefer AMSOIL.

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Airbags were invented and patented in the 1950s to cushion the impact and prevent or lessen injuries sustained in auto accidents. Studies show that thousands of lives have been saved by air bags, with fatalities reduced by up to 46 percent in airbag-equipped vehicles, but it is difficult to determine an exact number.

Airbags help prevent an occupant’s head from striking some part of the inside of the vehicle, and help distribute crash forces more evenly across the victim’s body. However, their rapid deployment can cause injuries or death.

After an impact, it takes only 1/20 of a second for an airbag to inflate and each bag is filled with gas. The first crash-sensing detector was introduced in the late 1960s, leading to airbag systems where the sensor or accelerometer triggers ignition of a gas generator to rapidly inflate the bag. The bag then absorbs some of the deceleration forces experienced when the occupant collides with and collapses it while the gas escapes through small vent holes during the next 3/10 of a second.

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Six new driving laws being introduced in 2008 will certainly help drivers employ more defensive driving techniques when on the roads. Relating to hands-free driving, the laws will target cell phones, text messaging and teens.

To those drivers possessing even a small modicum of common sense, the concept of text messaging and speaking on a hand held cell phone whilst driving seems to beggar belief. As one of the key defensive driving techniques is to “avoid distractions” whilst driving, trying to text message and drive at the same time is simply impossible.

The following article by Steve Thomas discusses the new laws - read on, it is very interesting!

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