Motorcycles and Cars are Different
Not the same
Motorcycles are a different class of vehicle! I know, difficult to conceptualize, but motorcycles aren’t cars.
The idea came to me as I reflected on a speeding ticket I was awarded by one of our state’s finest.
Most folks, police included, don’t understand how motorcyclists view the operating environment. To the un-anointed, motorcycles and cars are the same ‘cause they both use an engine to send ’em down the road.
The Rant
Unfortunately, human bias often clouds reasonable judgement and in my case, financial pain was the result. My ticked sited me for doing 88 MPH in a 60 MPH zone, in the right lane, on my “Racer” style motorcycle. Last time I checked, “racer” wasn’t a classification of bike. Positive motorcycle bias was not in my favor that morning, because the trooper decided I was the primary threat to the other vehicles and an easy target to fatten the state’s treasury — but I won’t go political.
Here’s the set-up: Car in the passing (left) lane doing the speed limit plus one MPH. Multiple cars behind me waiting to charge ahead. Gap opens between the car in right lane doing the speed limit and the car in front of me in the left lane. I utilize my size advantage and move into the right lane and begin to pass the left lane obstructor. As the gap opened, others did the same.
I look up on the overpass ahead to see the state patrol launch from his hiding spot behind a tree, lights turned on, making a run for the on-ramp. I have yet to look at my speedometer as that’s not the immediate threat. The trailing cars are now overtaking me, and the cop about to enter the freeway are more threatening than whatever speed I’m going. I just stay in the right lane.
Moments later, as the target du jour, I found myself greeting the trooper and being advised of my speed. I was incredulous, but was issued a citation despite being courteous and apologetic to my accuser.
I was sent on my way with well wishes to “be safe,” and got back on the bike to ride the remaining hour or so to work.
Time for Thinking
“Be Safe!” What does that mean anyway? Abide by the law? Slow down? Stay in my lane? Expect others will see me? Assume that when I come upon a slower driver I can use the left lane to pass? Don’t have an accident? Avoid the hospital?
I could go on, but you get the idea.
As for my speed, I rarely check my speedometer when I’m in traffic. I prefer to negotiate a pack of cars using a slight overtake. As motorcyclists, when our relative motion in traffic stops, we become invisible. That’s when bad things happen. So, if traffic is doing 62 MPH in a 60 MPH zone, I’m probably doing 68 MPH. As traffic accelerates, so do I and my resulting speed will be greater.
When I got my ticket, the trooper passed judgement that I was the biggest threat at that moment in time based on his acquired biases. I was “being safe” by avoiding a situation where a car driver behind me may have taken a risk to get past the selfish driver blocking the passing lane. I didn’t want to be anywhere near where that maneuver may have taken place. Maybe the risk-taking car driver would have waited patiently, maybe not. I didn’t want to find out.
How fast was I going when I decided to create some space? I don’t know. Never will. This and many times in the future I will create space around me as my experience and judgement allow.
Objective versus Subjective
That being said, states need to change the way motorcyclists are viewed in the eyes of Law Enforcement (LE). We motorcyclists need LE to view us more subjectively. Right now, the easiest course of action for LE is to apply objective methods to enforce traffic law. It’s easy to use a Speed Measuring Device (SMD) to clearly show a violation. That’s objective and almost irrefutable.
Police Laser SMD
But, for an LE officer to look at traffic flow and determine the red minivan/Prius/whatever in the left lane is causing other drivers to take a risk to get around them is purely subjective. In our litigious society, it’s hard to take a subjective position.
If all states were to allow motorcyclists to “filter” through traffic and create safe space by using differential speed, we as a group would enjoy more safety. LE Officers should be able to make a subjective determination of how safe a motorcyclist is by observing their behavior in traffic before passing judgement.