California Motorcycle Handbook - Antevia

it is coming. These contrastsare missing or distorted atnight. Open up a three-secondor more following distance.Allow more distance to passand be passed.• Use the Car Ahead. Theheadlights of the car ahead cangive you a better view of theroad than your high beam.Taillights bouncing up anddown can alert you to bumpsor rough pavement.• Use Your High Beam. Get allthe light you can. Use yourhigh beam whenever you arenot following or approachinganother vehicle. Be visible.Wear reflective materials whenriding at night.• Be Flexible about lane position.Change to the portion of thelane that helps you see, beseen, and keep an adequatespace cushion.CRASH AVOIDANCENo matter how careful you are,there will be times when you findyourself in a tight spot. Yourchances of getting out safelydepend on your ability to reactquickly and properly. Often, acrash occurs because a rider isnot prepared or skilled in crashavoidancemaneuvers.Two skills critical in avoiding acrash are knowing when and howto stop or swerve. You can’talways stop quickly to avoid anobstacle. You must also be ableto swerve around an obstacle.Studies show that most crashinvolvedriders:• Underbrake the front tire andoverbrake the rear.• Did not separate braking fromswerving or did not chooseto swerve when it wasappropriate.Quick StopsTo stop quickly, apply bothbrakes at the same time. Don’t beSWERVE, THEN BRAKEBRAKE, THEN SWERVE23