California Motorcycle Handbook - Antevia

• Vehicles and other traffic maymove into your path andincrease the likelihood of acrash.Think about your time and spacerequirements in order to maintaina margin of safety. You must leaveyourself time to react if anemergency arises.ExecuteCarry out your decision. To createmore space and minimize harmfrom any hazard:• Communicate your presencewith lights and/or your horn.• Adjust your speed byaccelerating, stopping, orslowing.• Adjust your lane position and/or direction of travel.Apply the old saying “one stepat a time” to handle two or morehazards. Adjust your speed soyou can deal with each hazardseparately. Then deal with themone at a time as single hazards.Decision-making becomes morecomplex with three or morehazards. Weigh theconsequences of each and giveequal distance to the hazards.In high-risk areas, such asintersections, shopping areas, orschool and construction zones,cover the clutch and both brakesto reduce your reaction time.at intersections. An intersectionis anywhere traffic may crossyour path. It can be in the middleof an urban area or at a drivewayon a residential street. Over onehalfof motorcycle/passengervehicle crashes are caused bydrivers entering a rider’s right-ofway.Vehicles that turn left infront of you, including thoseillegally turning left from thewrong lane, and cars on sidestreets that pull into your lane,are the biggest dangers. Your useof SEE at intersections is critical.There are no guarantees thatothers will see you. Never counton “eye contact” as a sign that adriver will yield to you. Too often,a driver can look right at amotorcyclist and still fail to “see”him/her. The only eyes that youcan count on are your own. If avehicle can enter your path,assume that it will. Good ridersare always “looking fortrouble”—not to get into it, butto stay out of it.Increase your chances of beingseen at intersections. Ride withyour headlight on in a laneLARGE INTERSECTIONSINTERSECTIONSThe greatest potential for conflictbetween you and other traffic is17