I made a mistake while riding the other day...

[DK Custom Products]

I made a mistake while riding a few days back. Fortunately I did not have to pay for it. BUT, I did learn from it!

I'd rather never make a mistake, but if I do, can't ask for better outcome...no payment and a chance to learn!

I was headed home from the shop. It was after dark. If I can help it, I do not ride the back roads after dark, in order to avoid the critters. So I was taking the interstate.

Nearing the end of the on-ramp, where I would need to merge onto the interstate lane of traffic, I looked over my shoulder to confirm that it was safe to merge. It was. When I looked back ahead I saw one big road gator straight ahead and several medium and smaller gators to the right (emergency lane) and to the left. There was no way to maneuver around them, and no time to stop ( I was already up to 70 mph) before running over them. So I aimed for the flattest one straight ahead of me.

My front tire and BOTH rear tires went over it, quite loudly.

When safe, I pulled over and checked the tires to make sure none of them were going flat. Then headed on home, carefully. When home I checked the TG over and could see no damage to tires, body, or along the bottom of the TG. So I got thru it with no damage.

What I learned, or should say, re-learned...I already knew this-

It is very easy to over-drive ones headlights, driving lights, auxiliary driving lights at night-time. During the day I would have seen the gators before I turned to look for traffic. At 70 mph, one travels about 102 feet per second. So even a 1.5 second glance to the rear, for checking traffic is 150 feet traveled.

Since even the best headlight/driving light set up is only going to illuminate the road well enough to see things like gators about 200 feet out, there simply is not enough time to be riding 70 mph and doing a normal shoulder check.

Either slowing down, or doing a very fast check are the only safe alternatives.

While riding at night, if there is no other traffic, I will use my high beam, which reaches much further out (which I could have/should have done, and did not...mistake!). If there is traffic, then I ride far enough back that my low beam lights up to the back of their vehicle and then I use their lights to see in front of them.

Another thing reinforced (day or night), do not follow too closely, and when there is someone ahead, even when following at a "safe" distance, position oneself to the left or right so that you can see a bit in front of them.

At 100 feet per second, there is just not a lot of time to react if something comes out from under a car in front.

Ride Safe out there!

Kevin

[rhino 2]

Human nature, .....The more lights you have so as to see farther ahead, The faster you drive cause you can see farther ahead...And then you just hit the object harder/faster...

.....

[vided]

It was a oops moment

[DblTrbl]

Glad is worked out and you and or your trike were not hurt or damaged. I know folks who have hit gator skins and ended up in the hospital fighting for their lives.

Also, thanks for sharing because we can all use a reminder from time to time.

[Jack Klarich]

Good refresher lesson here

[1dn5up]

Can relate to that, as I was coming up on a 18wheeler, and he desided to throw out a gator, that will get your attention in a hurry

[ol' school]

Kevin, glad you and your trike survived those road alligators!

[David357]

It's great to hear that you are OK.

[ultrafxr]

Glad you didn't have to pay a price for this Kevin. I absolutely hate to drive at night for that very reason - you simply cannot see far enough in the dark to be safe.

Be careful out there.

[rhino 2]

It's great to hear that you are OK and will keep this experience in your memory bank.

Please keep in mind that a "mirror check" of 1.5 seconds with a 150 feet of travel distance does not include the approximate 1/2 second reaction time required to perform any evasive actions. Therefore, another 50 feet will pass at that speed to initiate a reaction response.

This will total to about 200 feet traveled at 70 mph prior to the any hand/eye coordinated evasive response.

Mirrors can tell you where you Can go, But not where you Can't go....

[1dn5up]

Mirrors can tell you where you Can go, But not where you Can't go....

Mirrors tell me ware I’ve been, and even then I can’t remember ware I’ve come from

[rhino 2]

Mirrors tell me ware I’ve been, and even then I can’t remember ware I’ve come from

Lately when i look in my mirrors all i can see is rain drops......

[MDO]

Just glad your safe Kevin. The biggest learning curve for me on a trike, after 50 years of 2 wheeling, is it's dam hard to miss road hazards.

[hogcowboy]

I added extra lights installed on the crash bars once. They were aimed toward the ditch so wouldn't bother oncoming cars. I wonder it that would have given you light further ahead to avoid such things. Mine were also point as far up the road as possible. I no longer ride in the dark so haven't needed it on my Indian but I'm thinking they just might have helped in this situation.

[Dave59]

Glad to hear you rode through it without injury.

[FuzzyWuzHe]

Glad you got through that Kevin.

You were kind of between a rock and a hard spot ... needing to get to merging speed and out running your lights.

Another thing to remember, at least for me, the older I get the harder it is for me to see at night. I tend to avoid it as much as possible.

[rhino 2]

Glad you got through that Kevin.

You were kind of between a rock and a hard spot ... needing to get to merging speed and out running your lights.

Another thing to remember, at least for me, the older I get the harder it is for me to see at night. I tend to avoid it as much as possible.

I remember when my old man would say he wouldn't/didn't like to drive at night, And i would say that ain't ever gonna happen with me.....Well guess what....

[Trampas]

Well I'm glad your safe, a person can always learn something everyday no matter what age.

I would also say the GOD was with you that day

All for now Trampas

[Fearless]

Wow I understand the dangers of road trash Kevin so glad you were not injured most have some sort of damage. You are correct we need to pay attention to detail when riding and it takes only a moment to cause us grief. season is just about over here with the temps. going down, they will be few and far between. travel safe Fred

[DK Custom Products]

It was a oops moment

Yeah, and I try not to have any of those....takes too long to heal up!

Glad is worked out and you and or your trike were not hurt or damaged. I know folks who have hit gator skins and ended up in the hospital fighting for their lives.

Also, thanks for sharing because we can all use a reminder from time to time.

Yeah, big reminder for me!

Glad you didn't have to pay a price for this Kevin. I absolutely hate to drive at night for that very reason - you simply cannot see far enough in the dark to be safe.

Be careful out there.

Me too! I was fortunate, but cannot rely on that. I do need to ride after dark quite often, but have slowed down.

Just glad your safe Kevin. The biggest learning curve for me on a trike, after 50 years of 2 wheeling, is it's dam hard to miss road hazards.

True that! On two wheels it would have been worse...BUT, I probably could have avoided it.

I added extra lights installed on the crash bars once. They were aimed toward the ditch so wouldn't bother oncoming cars. I wonder it that would have given you light further ahead to avoid such things. Mine were also point as far up the road as possible. I no longer ride in the dark so haven't needed it on my Indian but I'm thinking they just might have helped in this situation.

I run lights exactly as you described...see photo below. I was simply going too fast/spending too long looking over my shoulder.



Kevin