Accidents can feel like they are happening in slow motion. But this is not the time to turn spectator. In the split seconds before impact, you can still greatly reduce the chances of serious injury. Remember to avoid target fixation and never give up trying to find a path to safety.
Act. Fast.
If a crash seems avoidable, do one of the following:
- Emergency brake without changing course
- Head for your escape route and emergency brake as soon as you have aimed (if there is a gap, go for it… aim for the side of the road and not a head-on collision)
- Alter course to avoid the hazard and restore your safety zone. You may need to countersteer hard.
But if a crash seems unavoidable concentrate on two things:
- Reducing speed (the slower you crash, the better)
- Keeping your bike upright, braking right up to the last moment (don't try to lay your bike down).
Slide tactics
Okay, so you’ve come off and you’re in a slide. Don’t panic:
- Try to keep as much of your body as possible in contact with the road - this will spread heat friction and slow you down faster
- In a long slide on your back, steer by spreading an arm to create a friction bias. Try to alter the parts of your body that are taking the weight
- Get away from your bike by kicking it or spreading yourself on the road to slow down.
In the event you do go down at speed wearing proper protective gear, you'll probably escape serious injury, providing you don't hit anything solid.
