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I was at a stoplight waiting to pull out onto a very dark 2 lane highway one time in my truck. I looked left and saw the dual headlights of a car that was way up the road and far away from the intersection where I sat. I looked to my right and the lane was clear. I looked to my left again and a motorcycle was right at the intersection I was getting ready to pull into.
What I thought at my first glance was 2 car headlights way up the road was actually a motorcycle with dual headlights that was very close to the intersection where I sat. Had I not made that second look I could have very easily pulled right into the path of that motorcycle.
Riding on dark roads on a motorcycle can be very dangerous. Personally, it is not a risk I take unless I just have to do so. There have been times where I get caught after dark but I don’t make a habit of doing so.
If you do have to ride at night let’s talk about some tips that will make it safer to get home.
When I was in the Army we used to do combat training at night. During the course of the training, flares would be shot into the sky that would light up the battlefield. These flares would turn night into day and allow you to see everything going on around you until the flare went out.
It also caused a phenomenon known as light blindness if you were not careful. The flares were very bright and would temporarily light the battlefield. If you looked at the flare or kept both eyes open while the flare was doing its job you had a very tough time seeing anything after the flare went out, putting you at a huge disadvantage.
The trick was not to look at the flare and close one eye while the flare was lit. That way you still had one eye to see well after the flare was out.
The same is true for cars approaching on a very dark road. Don’t look directly at the headlights, look slightly away from the headlight, or maybe close one eye until it passes. On a dark road like this light blindness can have a huge impact on a rider’s vision after the car passes.
Here is a bonus nugget of knowledge for you this week, I won’t charge you any extra for this.
We have all seen pictures of Pirate Captains. Most photos of Pirates have one thing in common…that big patch over their eye.
Have you ever wondered why so many Pirate Captains lost an eye?
They didn’t…the patch had a purpose.
The ships that Pirates worked on had no power, which meant that when the Captain went below deck on the ship it could be very dark in comparison to the bright sun on the deck. The patch was a tool they used so that they could keep one eye in the dark with the patch and be able to see below deck by simply removing the patch.
As soon as they went back on the deck and I guess every time they got their picture taken, they would put the patch back on…and now you know the rest of the story.
Some other tips:
Use a clear visor at night, even a lightly smoked visor at night puts you at a huge disadvantage on the road. Visors also tend to fog more at night so a pinlock can help with that. Search for a helmet pinlock to see if one is available for your helmet. Keep in mind though that a pinlock will cause some distortion when riding into bright lights, it makes a star effect of approaching lights but for me, it is better than the alternative of having a fogged-up visor.
Think about increasing your visibility. Adding extra lights with as much offset from the headlight as possible will increase your visibility. Bright or reflective clothing will help your visibility and if you are going to be riding at night keep the reflectors on your motorcycle. Some owners love taking the reflectors off of the motorcycle because they think it looks cooler without the reflectors…I am more about function over form and reflectors at night are very functional.
Ride slower, this will give you time and space for others who make mistakes on the road and it will give your mind extra time to process hazards on the road. A dead deer in the middle of the road is very easy to see during the day, not nearly as easy to see at night. Slow down to give yourself more time to see hazards and react to them.
Be aware that some animals are more active at night and harder to see, there are more intoxicated drivers at night, rain becomes an even bigger hazard at night and there are generally more hazards overall on the road at night.
Remember our general rule of being able to stop in the distance you can see clearly up the road. Don’t over-ride your headlights and be caught off-guard when something appears in headlight view on a dark road.
If you can position yourself a safe distance back but still use the headlights of a car ahead of you this can greatly increase your visibility to see what is happening ahead. The danger here though is getting too close to the vehicle and creating more problems.
There is a lot to think about riding a motorcycle at night and it without a doubt carries some extra risk. If you are aware of the risks and plan for them you can reduce the risks that you face riding at night but it will always carry more risk than riding during the day.
For me personally, the risk gets greater than I am comfortable with on a regular basis so I avoid riding after sunset if I can help it. That said I have ridden a lot of miles on a motorcycle after sunset and I am still here to tell about it. Just use some of these common-sense tips to make your ride safer the next time you are caught out after the sun has gone down.
I would love to hear your thought on the subject. We will be discussing this topic and more on the forums so join us there to continue the conversation.
