Motorcycle Safety & Driveability: Riding at night, night, dark

Question
I noticed that in your book "Ride Hard, Ride Smart" you don't address safety issues or skills for riding during hours of darkness. Chapter 7, which is titled "Riding at Night" just recommends "Don't ride at night".
My 112 mile round-trip commute from the Inland Empire to Los Angeles in Southern California begins at 4:30 am and I usually head home around 7:30 pm. It's dark when I leave home and dark when I leave work. Traffic is about average going to work and can be pretty heavy going home. I've tried to increase my visibility with my gear. My helmet has reflective stickers all around and my jacket is a bright fluorescent greenish yellow with thick reflective strips along the back and arms and my pants have thick reflective strips along the legs.
Do you have any tips for riding when it's dark?
Thanks.

Answer
Believe me, you're not the first person to comment on Chapter 7. In my defense, the original working title for the book was "Motorcycling for the Risk-Averse." In that context, I hope, Chapter 7 makes a little more sense.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it. ;-)

But you are right, sometimes we have to ride at night and we can apply the same strategic thinking to minimizing the risks.

Sounds like you're off to a good start with the high-viz riding gear. For more tips on general conspicuity, see my latest project www.HighViz.org. In particular, look at Tips 4, 5, 6, 7 (consider adding reflectives to your bike as well), 8, 9, 10, 13, and 14.

If I am forced to ride at night (I don't as a rule, but as seasons change I find myself riding to work in the dark in the morning--I even adjust my work schedule where possible to accommodate this) I find myself spending a lot more time in my mirrors.

I try to ride faster than the flow of traffic. Keith Code said it best: it is far easier to make something happen than prevent something from happening. I think my closest calls with other drivers in the dark are them entering, exiting, and changing lanes without realizing how close they are to my taillight. Riding faster than the flow will minimize this to some degree, but it opens up additional risks (speeding tickets, reduced reaction time, increased stopping distance, etc.)

If you're not comfortable riding faster than the flow, you need to divert much more attention to maintaining your space cushion from other vehicles. Be especially wary of on- and off-ramps--traffic to the left of you may make a break for it, and traffic merging with you may not be able to accurately gauge your exact position and speed. Keep an eye on the traffic directly behind you. If they can see around you, they'll inch closer because of the illusion that they have more room.

Get yourself a taillight modulator, auxiliary taillights, and definitely auxiliary driving lights. Consider position/marker lights if you don't already have them. More info on these things is at HighViz.org.

I'm only talking about other drivers so far. The problem of large, wild animals definitely takes on new meaning at night. Not much you can do about them other than hope for the best and be good with your brakes. A friend of mine is convinced that the unmuffled Akropovics on his Ducati actually scare deer away. I don't think I could ever recommend louder pipes as a safety measure, but I do respect his opinion!

Also, I think it's important to read up on the human eye, vision, and how vision works in the daylight vs the darkness--and especially twilight. You need to have an understanding of your own limitations as well as the limitations of those around you. I've linked to an interesting article (see Visibility--Night Vision) on the High-Viz Resources page:

http://www.motorcyclesafety.state.mn.us/latest/MMSCHomeSecondary.asp?cid=5&mid=3...

That article should at least wet your whistle for the subject.

I hope I've given you some new things to think about! And thank you for reading my book.

Pat

PS Oh--and keep your eye protection and/or helmet face shield SPOTLESS. Mirrors too. Replace the face shield every year. Clean it spotless after every ride or at least once a day. I know it's a lot of extra work but your eyes are your lifeline at night!