"Sworn to Fun - Loyal to None - The Art of Lane Positioning for Safer Riding" sponsored by The Goldberg Law Firm Co., LPA was written by seasoned motorcycle rider, David Winkelhake just in time for Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month.

1. Sworn to Fun –
Loyal to None
THE ART OF LANE POSITIONING
FOR SAFER RIDING
- DAVID WINKELHAKE

2. Sponsored by:
Steven M. Goldberg
steven@smglegal.com
The Goldberg Law Firm Co., LPA
www.smglegal.com

3. From the Author
Several years after I started riding, I began researching better street riding
techniques for my own protection, and that of my passenger.
Most of the studies published on motorcycle safety were, quite frankly, a bit
confusing and much of the commentary offered too much advice to pick out the
areas that could be focused on for immediate improvement.
Although there are many concepts to consider about motorcycle safety, most
boil down to lane positioning.

4. It’s all about lane positioning
Common sense tells us that the farther we are away from a source of danger, the safer we are.
Yet for years after I started riding, I continually placed myself in the left portion of the lane over
90% of the time and regardless of the traffic conditions around me.
Proper lane position provides that cushion that could make all the difference because by
increasing the distance from the danger, the rider’s time to react is increased (this is why
motorcycle riding classes preach looking 12-14 seconds down the road).
I have also found that the effectiveness of a emergency maneuver is inversely related to the
difficulty of the technique: the simpler the maneuver is to execute, the more effective it will be in
a panic situation.
Emergency swerving and braking in a straight line when the adrenaline is pumping is one thing,
it’s entirely different when the rider must execute either maneuver while negotiating a highway
curve, when turning, or when avoiding multiple obstacles.

5. The purpose of proper positioning within a lane of travel is to:
(1) create more distance between the rider and the danger,
(2) place the rider in a position for better visibility (to see and be seen)
(3) and increase the effectiveness of basic emergency avoidance techniques.
It’s all about lane positioning

6. The Zone of Danger
INTERSECTING STREETS

7. The Zone of Danger
Intersecting roads pose the greatest danger to riders.
◦ In 2013, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 74% of two-vehicle crashes
involving motorcycles were frontal collisions.
◦ Almost half of those collisions were caused by a vehicle turning left in front of a motorcycle.
When approaching intersections with oncoming vehicles preparing to turn through the rider’s
right of way, laterally shifting in the lane of travel before the intersection greatly reduces the
riders chance of colliding with the offending vehicle—assuming the rider successfully applied
the brakes, accelerated or swerved to avoid the collision.

8. The Zone of Danger
In the diagram, the red triangle represents the area in which a
collision is unavoidable if the vehicle begins to turn. This is the “no
escape” zone.
One notable study,* concluded that riders remaining in the left side
of the lane (yellow line) when riding through the interestion may not
be able to avoid the collision even with optimal reaction times and
optimal execution. The riders just spend too much time in the “no
escape” zone.
If the rider shifts to the right portion of the rider’s lane (blue line)
before the intersection, the lane position alone reduces the size of
the “no escape” zone, and even less-than-optimal braking and
reaction times will avoid a collision.

9. Also notice that the farther to the right the rider is, and the less time
spent in a “no escape” zone, the more time a rider has to execute an
escape maneuver.
On four lane roadways (two lanes in one direction), moving into the
right lane, if permitted by traffic, is the best option when oncoming
vehicles can turn in front of the rider (the “no escape” zone is
reduced to nothing). When conditions do not permit this, or only one
lane of travel is available, the greatest benefit is achieved by moving
into the right portion of that lane.
The Zone of Danger

10. If there is another vehicle approaching from the rider’s right, the
rider should be aware of both dangers because the “no escape” zone
exists in front of the second car as well.
In this situation, the right portion of the lane is not optimal. The rider
should adjust the lane position as best as possible to minimize the
dangers posed by both vehicles.
Angling back towards the left of the lane, after shifting laterally to the
right, has two advantages:
◦ minimize the time spent in the no escape zone (so less-than-optimal
maneuvering will be sufficient) and;
◦ laterally shifting may increase the rider’s visibility (the movement may
trigger the drivers’ recognition of the motorcycle)
The Zone of Danger

11. There is a caveat to all of this—when laterally shifting in the lane, some drivers perceive the
shift as the motorcycle rider’s intent to turn. In my experience, shifting to the center and then
the right portion of the lane helps to prevent this perception, but it is not fool proof.
Lane positioning when approaching intersections with traffic is dependent on the
circumstances, and each situation requires a thought process, which is why positioning the
motorcycle before approaching the potential dangers provides such a benefit.
The rider can execute the maneuver in a low-stress situation and focus on the emergency
maneuver (brake, accelerate, swerve) needed to avoiding a collision. The motorcycle is
already in the best position.
The Zone of Danger

12. Starting Right to Turn
Left
A COUNTERINTUITIVE, BUT EFFECTIVE, LANE POSITIONING
TECHNIQUE

13. Starting Right to Turn Left
When approaching left-hand intersections where only the intersecting
road has a traffic control device, it is helpful to borrow “the dip” from a
U-turn technique to make a safer turn.
The technique is simple to explain, but takes some practice to
implement. If making a left-hand U-turn, the rider starts in the left-
middle part of the lane, dips the bike to the right before initiating the
left turn. This creates a pendulum effect allowing the bike to turn in
tighter.
Although the dip technique is most commonly used to initiate a tight
turn, in certain road situations, this technique can be used to ensure a
better lane position, especially when turning left at an intersection
where no stop is required.

14. Most riders will follow an arc, leaning the bike through the turn. The
standard turn, along the yellow line, puts the rider in a danger zone
if/when the vehicle begin its left turn having failed to see the
motorcycle and rider approach.
Initiating a swerve or executing emergency braking while a
motorcycle is leaned over is more difficult, and if the rider stands
the bike up to avoid the car, the bike is then aimed straight at the
side of the road (and Murphy’s Law dictates that there will be a
pedestrian or another object near the corner causing the rider to
have to avoid a second collision).
Starting Right to Turn Left

15. Using the dip technique gives the rider three distinct advantages:
When approaching the intersection, the rider remains in the left
portion of the lane, dips right and then initiates a left turn while
looking straight through the turn (and not at the vehicle in the
intersection). This accomplishes three things:
(1) The turn is completed before leaving or immediately after leaving
your lane of travel so the rider is not leaning into a possible collision.
(2) The motorcycle is upright and moving in a straight line so if/when
an approaching vehicle violates the rider’s right of way, the
motorcycle is ready for a basic swerve or basic emergency braking
maneuvers.
(3) The rider keeps the most possible distance between any
approaching vehicle and the motorcycle.

16. Hidden Traffic
APPLYING THESE TWO CONCEPTS TO OTHER SITUATIONS

17. Hidden Traffic
These lane positioning concepts can be
applied to numerous situations. Remember
the goal is always to increase the distance
between the rider and any possible danger.
— Not everyone gets to enjoy riding on empty
highways.

18. Hidden Traffic: Upcoming curves
When approaching right-hand curves in the road, by shifting
towards the center of the lane early, the rider is already
prepared for the vehicle that may cross left of center.
Although oncoming traffic tends to cut over the edge line in a
motorcycle rider’s left-hand curves, when a rider enters a left-
hand curve in a highway, the same technique can be used to
maximize visibility (the farther right the rider positions the bike
in left-facing curves, the sooner the exit of the curve is visible).

19. Hidden Traffic: Obstructed Views
When approaching trucks on two-lane highways, it’s best to laterally
shift to the right lane position before encountering the oncoming
truck. This provides two distinct benefits:
(1) Visibility—both the driver of the car following the truck and the
rider will be able to see each sooner;
(2) More distance from the danger—if the vehicle car does start to
pass the truck, the rider is already in a position to avoid a head-on
collision.
This same concept applies to any slow moving/parked object the
rider approaches—horse and buggy, bicyclist, tractor, etc. Moving to
the opposite portion of the lane of travel, away from the object,
provides the rider a cushion.

20. Hidden Traffic: Obstructed Views
Proper positioning within the lane of travel increases
visibility, but is not always the answer. In the scenario
depicted, the car turning across traffic cannot see the
rider approach behind the truck, which is also turning
left.
Laterally shifting within the rider’s lane may not allow
the driver of the car to see the motorcycle in time.
Recognizing the potential danger before the intersection
is the safest option so that the rider is not in that blind
spot when cruising through.

21. Hidden Traffic
Animals are traffic too! When riding in rural areas, animals popping up across the
road present just as much of a threat as vehicular traffic.
Because the threat can come from either side, and any time, if traffic permits, it’s
okay to hug the center line of the highway to provide the maximum cushion from
both sides. Just remember that the painted centerline can be slippery.

22. Final Thoughts
Although shifting to a better lane position before the danger presents itself gives the
rider the benefit of positioning the motorcycle before the stress of an emergency
presents itself, lane positioning is not a substitute for practiced emergency braking or
swerving techniques.
As effective as the optimal lane position can be, riding conditions may limit the ability to
use that portion of the lane, whether it be from other potential hazards or the lane
position would make the rider less visible to other drivers.
There is no one-size-fits-all to safe riding techniques, but recognizing and using the
proper lane position, and when not to, will benefit riders of all experience. Ride safe!

23. *For more information see:
James V. Ouellet, Lane Positioning for Collision Avoidance, November 1990: available at
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/296706121_Lane_positioning_for_collision_avoidance.
** All street images courtesy of Google Maps.
*** For additional information check out:
Stayin’ Safe: The Art and Science of Riding Really Well, by Lawrence Grodsky.