A Safety Tip From Paul Carroll

Over the years, I have seen many riders let their situational awareness diminish as they are stopped at a red light. However, being stationary doesn’t mean you’re safe. The primary threat is behind you when you are stopped. Until the vehicle behind you has come to a complete stop, your focus belongs in your mirrors.

Follow these “stopped-safety” protocols:

• Stay Ready: Keep the bike in gear with your right hand or foot on the brake.

• Be Visible: It’s a good practice to pulsate your brake light as traffic approaches from behind to ensure you are seen.

• Leave an Out: Maintain enough distance from the vehicle ahead of you to allow for an emergency escape maneuver if approaching traffic is not going to stop.

• Look at Traffic: Don’t just casually glance in your mirrors. The key here is to really look at the traffic in your mirrors.

• Focus First: Do not adjust your radio, or grab your water bottle until the traffic behind you is at a stop.

Pro Tip: To sharpen your focus, an easy technique to practice your attention to detail is to determine the color of the vehicle as it approaches and repeat it back to yourself out loud. This keeps your brain locked into your surroundings, and forces you to process the threat rather than just seeing it.