This past week, a Georgia State Route 144 motorcycle crash resulted in a life flight to Memorial Medical Health University. The rider was said to have been traveling eastbound when the truck in front of him began to make a turn or was stopped. Unfortunately, the bike hit the left rear wheel of a truck and ended up on its side, sliding across the road with its rider on it. It was reported by the Georgia State Patrol that the biker may not have been able to see the truck’s rear lights due to cargo that was strapped to the back of the truck. It is uncertain whether charges will be filed against either driver.
Coming up on a road hazard is not actually a rare occurrence. All riders need to be prepared to know what to do when out of the blue, a vehicle or other hazard appears. Although we do not know whether there was a way for the rider to avoid hitting this truck, given the issue with the truck’s brake lights being concealed by cargo, we thought it might be helpful to go through some braking tips in case a reader encounters a road hazard and needs to quickly avert and take defensive action.
Riders know that their front brakes provide the greatest percentage of braking power. The bike’s weight and the rider’s as well will transfer to the front wheel on braking which actually helps in the braking process when the tire’s friction on the road takes hold. Riders might experience a slight skid on a hard brake, but this can be managed by learning to slowly apply the front brake. The rear wheel can become more prone to a skid in this situation. This can be controlled in the same way that a skid would be controlled in another vehicle, maintain a visual field on the horizon and watch where you would like to end up traveling … this helps avoid an uncontrollable skid.
Riders also know that learning how to brake in an emergency requires practice and is not necessarily intuitive. But with training, a rider can learn to react in an emergency and take that skill into any situation that arises. It is very tough to do this without practice. You want to get to the point where you do not think about how to respond with your brakes, you know what to do because you have drilled with this practice. The skill is best learned through a professional motorcycle riding instructor who can teach techniques such as applying brakes and avoiding panic.
If you or someone you know has been hurt while riding … please know that there is help available and that experienced support is just a call away. Contact Scholle Law for any concerns about your motorcycle crash and your legal rights.