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You’ve seen people do it: yapping away on cell phones while driving out of lane, or texting while cruising in traffic.  In a culture that thinks of automobiles as living rooms, I don’t think any law is going to stop people from doing it.  So what can you do to keep your ride bumper free?  Well if you have some city-biking experience, you’re already more attentive to traffic than 99% of the drivers on the road.  You see cars swerving or driving irratically and steer clear of them…  You also keep ahead of the flow of traffic and practice good mojo techniques.  But there’s a new danger for motorcyclists posed by drivers who are texting…

The newest danger is: Being hit from the rear while stopped at a light or stopped in traffic.  Previously this was the least likely danger for motorcyclists, but the level of inattentiveness caused by cell phones makes it more likely (and more costly).  Rear end collisions in the past have been problems of poor traction or braking too late; the rear end collisions caused by texting don’t involve much braking at all.   On local roads where traffic moves briskly, until there is a car stopped behind you, you may be at risk.  This is not so much of an issue in Manhattan, but on faster local roads, and highway congestion the number of rear end collisions seems to be (from anecdotal evidence) rising.

So what can you do?  When you’re coming to a stop, check your mirrors.  Normally the mirrors should be positioned to give you a view of the lanes next to you, so that you can see into the blind spot (the area you can’t see by turning your head).  I think that’s probably the best thing to do.  So instead of trying to position the mirrors to see the lane behind you (which is almost impossible on sportbikes) you can position the bike on an angle when coming to a stop.  Not only does this give you a better view of the lane behind you, it makes you more visible (wider from behind) and points you in the direction of an escape route should you need it.

Got a tip? Post it in the comments!

Here’s another vid you might have seen. Doesn’t involve cell phones, but the driver was probably distracted, and the motorcyclist wasn’t aware of what was coming behind him.

Related posts:

1. Top Four Gotcha Moves
2. Who Shouldn’t Ride
3. Riding Tips: Road Positioning in the City
4. Riding to Alice’s Restaurant
5. What’s Up in LA?