Motorcyclists are more prone to accidents when riding on windy days. The issue intensifies when vehicles fly by and overtake at high speed – like British fighter jets out on a mission. To ensure a better understanding of the matter’s intricacy, several reasons have been elucidated, justifying why you should allow extra room while overtaking a motorcyclist on a windy day!
Reasons For Overtaking A Motorcyclist With Extra Care On A Windy Day
Are you aware that motorcyclists are among the most vulnerable road users? For a reason. I must say! For almost a decade, I have been a motorcyclist. SUVs and saloons used to fly by me, and those were the moments when I felt that life is unpredictable and we, as bikers, are more vulnerable to accidents than glossy cars with airbags!
For those traveling in shiny new cars, massive built trucks or long trailers, it is pertinent for you to be careful while overtaking a motorcyclist for the following reasons:
May Cause Steering Issues
Bikers, especially the ones on windy highways, are mostly struggling with steering issues. In such precarious situations, when a car overtakes a motorcyclist, steering becomes much more difficult.
Interesting News As per a review of a motorcyclist on PistonHeads, he had to think about changing his plan owing to gusting winds that had a velocity of more than 40 miles per hour! |
Risk Of Swerving on The Road
With context to the steering issues owing to winds severed by overtaking by cars, there are significant chances of a biker swerving to and fro on the road.
This is mostly because a motorcycle has a low center of gravity as compared to sedans. With this, a biker can also be tagged as the most vulnerable road user!
Chances of Losing Balance
When a biker swerves, what can be expected next? Is it getting back with the control? We all hope so, but the opposite has been observed in several cases. A biker shaking on the road amidst strong winds coupled with car overtakes is at high risk of losing balance!
Pro Tip For The Biker Community: In a situation when you feel like losing balance, slow down your machine to reduce the chances of an unwanted mishap! |
Vacuum Pulling The Motorcyclist
Are you aware of the fact that there is a certain force in vehicles that can pull motorcyclists towards them? Isn't it intriguing? Do you want to know what it is, especially in the windy weather?
Interestingly, a vacuum is created by vehicles when they pass by or overtake a motorcyclist. This makes the biker get into a pull towards it. As a result, there are high chances of risking an accident!
Pro Tip: To avoid motorcyclist pulls towards vehicles traveling on the road, it is recommended to follow the highway code set up by the United Kingdom government! |
Terrifying The Motorcyclist With Noise and Close Overtaking
Two things in a coin – the noise of your car that your engine’s rev makes while passing by and the strong whisper of air. When a car – especially one with a massive road presence and louder engine roar makes a close call, there are high chances that a biker may lose control and get into an accident.
Do You Know? According to Marines.Mil: One of the 10 biggest dangers to a motorcyclist on the road is changing lanes, such as in overtaking!
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Multiplying The Force Of Gustling Winds Against The Motorcyclist
With high-speed accelerations of vehicles coupled with tornado-paced winds, it is necessary to allow extra room while overtaking a motorcyclist on a windy day. Both forces, the latter and former, can act as a stimulus that might make the motorcyclist lose balance!
May Trigger The Probability Of A Major Accident
Starting from steering issues, swerving on the road, and losing balance to resulting in an accident, a motorcyclist is always at risk. But this does not end here.
With vehicles moving at a high speed on highways, i.e more than 55 mp/h, and a single bike trying to balance itself owing to a car overtake, there are chances of other cars colliding with each other.
Example:
Suppose you see a bike trying to balance itself at high speed on a highway, making you either apply brakes or move away from the bike. However, it has been seen in certain situations that vehicle drivers either apply the brakes or move into another lane without checking their side and rear view mirrors - resulting in a massive and unfortunate accident!
Conclusion
To sum up, it can be said that there are several reasons to allow extra room while overtaking a motorcyclist on a windy day. Those issues majorly include steering issues, risk of swerving on the road, chances of losing balance, creation of vaccum pulling the motorcyclist towards other vehicles, terrifying the motorcyclist with noise and the risk of triggering the probability of a major accident!
FAQs
- Do side winds increase the extremity of wrong overtaking of motorcyclists?Yes, side winds can be a testing factor, especially when it comes to overtaking by a vehicle from the side air is moving!
- What is a highway code?Highway codes are the rules in place that regulate the usage of roads by travelers in the United Kingdom. It majorly includes vehicle-driving practices and related laws.
- Do engine revs matter when overtaking a motorcyclist?Yes, they do. Overtaking by vehicles with bigger engines tends to have stock but louder engine revs, which may scare the soul of a motorcyclist, risking an accident!
About Author : Eagan Taylor
Hey! I'm Eagan Taylor, I'm a versatile writer with a passion for crafting engaging and thought-provoking content. With a broad range of interests and expertise in various subjects, I can write on multiple topics about local businesses.
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