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The latest news from Total Control Superadvanced Riding Clinic. Motorcycle news, events and all things bike related.


13 May 2010

The "killer" question?


So who, or what is the biggest killer of motorcycle riders? Let's take a look at the usual suspects to see if we can find the truth.

Surely the biggest killer must be the idiots in cars, not looking properly and wiping us out at junctions? No, although they do have an impressive kill rate, they are not the biggest killer.

What about potholes then? There is a lot in the news about these horrid things, they must be at number 1? No, in fact the victim count from potholes is remarkably small considering how many of them are out there.

Must be diesel spills, due to the carelessness of many truck drivers? Once again a resounding no, although there are a lot of unplanned dismounts due to diesel and other surface contaminants, the morgues are not bursting at the seams because of it.

Ahh, speeding, that must be it. The Government tells us that speed kills, so that must be the answer? It's certainly the easy answer, but it is not the right answer. Breaking the speed limit might kill a few of us, but again, it is not the biggest killer.

To find the correct answer, we must first find the killing ground where most of us end up dying and work out the solution from there. According to all the information gathered from many fatal accidents over the years, it is the rural left hand bend where most of the carnage takes place, not one particular bend you understand, but any and all of them. To add to the horror, in most of the fatal accidents on this type of bend, there was nobody else involved at the beginning of the accident, but there usually is some kind of third party involvement at the end of it.

Averaging out all these accidents, they all seem to follow a sickeningly inevitable course. Our victim is happily bowling along the road, enjoying all the sensations that riding a motorcycle brings when a corner hoves into view. There is nothing unusual in this, as our victim has already negotiated dozens of corners just like this one on the ride so far, so why should this one need special consideration? Trouble is, our rider has made a serious mistake on the approach to the corner because it is most definitely NOT like all the corners that have gone before. Maybe it tightens, or perhaps there is a huge patch of gravel on the surface, or even a tractor parked up just out of sight round the corner. Whatever it is that makes this corner different to all the rest, it is going to have a profound effect on our rider when they suddenly realise it IS different.

What happens immediately after this moment of realisation, will seal our rider's fate and it is THIS moment that is the answer to the "killer question".

The action a rider takes at the moment of realisation of his mistake is by far and away the biggest killer.

Although many riders might make similar mistakes, the mistake does not seal the rider's fate. Fixing mistakes that riders make will certainly help to reduce the carnage, but there are so many mistakes to be made that you could not possibly fix them all.

Much better to concentrate on the moment of realisation, because you will get one of those, irrespective of the mistake you may have made.

That's the big difference between Total Control and other advanced riding courses. Other courses will try and show you how to avoid making mistakes, whilst Total Control will show you what happens at the moment of realisation and what you should do about it.

We call this Superadvanced riding, you should try it, it might well save your life.

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