How to ride safely (and still have fun)

Life Cars & Motorcycles
21

I do believe the Primary cause of a moto/scoot accident is Being on one in the first case.

But since you must ride, then really ride safe. Dont do crazy things and dont speed and watch everything and everyone around you at all times. Every little second.

You can lose your very life within seconds.

22

The biggest cause of accidents is the Taiwanese driving style and there aint nothing you can do bout that

23

I think we know what the causes are, why do we need to put this in a sticky thread. Aren’t they pretty obvious???

24

Anecdotally maybe. Mostly anecdotal evidence from bikers :ponder:

There actually seems to be a lack of basic research, but we’re unlikely to be able to fix that here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurt_Report#Current_validity

Lots of scope for argument. For example, which are more dangerous, scooters or motorcycles?

My impression is that biker-boys are probably going to tend to say scooters, cos they’re unstable, girly, don’t handle, frames snap, etc etc.

In the US I’d expect the true answer would probably be motorcycles, (pretty much a no-brainer) but in Taiwan, where the capacities are about the same, the answer would be less a foregone conclusion and thus more informative.

I’d bet actual statistical data isn’t available to answer that question either way, though, in either country.

25

It’s soooo tempting to go off on a rant, but I’ll try not to. For the newbies not familiar with Taiwan’s driving, and from the rider’s perspective, here’s my list:

  1. Your scooter doesn’t exist. Because a scooter is small, car drivers do not allow them space. You will often hear people here say “what’s in front of you is your problem - what’s behind you is someone else’s problem”. Well, what’s behind you is your problem if it kills you. Use your mirrors. All the time. Position yourself aggressively (ie., plenty of space on your right) so that you can get out of Xiao Ming’s way when he overtakes you (in the same lane) in daddy’s Lexus with barely inches to spare.
  2. On the same theme: go with the flow; match the traffic speed. Do not attempt to hug the side of the road and drive slowly. Otherwise, you will simply get crushed into the kerb by the stream of overtaking cars.
  3. Red lines do not exist. Stay away from parked cars. People will crowd you into them, and people will open doors without looking. The law is flouted so regularly people think a red line indicates a parking area.
  4. Uncontrolled junctions are not junctions. Most people simply consider the road they’re joining to be part of the road they’re already on, and will neither stop nor indicate - the fucked-up Taiwanese version of Priorité à droite. So YOU need to stop. Again, use your mirrors so you can check if there’s a blue truck following you. Then, when Mr Clever Businessman pulls out from a side road directly in front of you (perfectly acceptable, because SUVs have priority, dontcha know) you won’t run into the back of him and/or become the meat slice in a car sandwich. Try not to take it personally when this happens.
  5. Turning left is a free-for-all. In countries with driving tests, people know to turn left behind the oncoming vehicle. In Taiwan, they will turn in front of you, which causes an immense snarl-up. Just keep your head, keep going where you’re going, and remember the bigger vehicle has priority. Mr Bus Driver or SUV Driver is quite entitled to squash you flat if you’re in his way, because you’re on a scooter and he isn’t. Again, try not to take it personally.
  6. Keep your distance. This applies anywhere, of course, but it will save your life many times if you leave adequate space between you and the vehicles around you. This is mainly because when the vehicle in front of you has an accident (and it will, eventually) you don’t get caught in the pile-up.
  7. Traffic lights are purely advisory. Let the Taiwanese believe this if they want to. Don’t even think about copying them, even when they start hooting you because the lights have changed to a green filter arrow and they think that means “go, regardless”.
  8. Boy racers. There’s always some stupid kid who thinks it’s clever to weave across the road at 80kph, usually on a scooter. He will die eventually, but you don’t want to be around when he does (as per No.6). Just get out of his way and let him do his thing.
  9. Grandma/granddad. These guys grew up in a different era and usually have no driving license (for whatever that’s worth). They will drive into oncoming traffic, with no helmet, feet swinging an inch from the road “in case they fall off” and completely ignore everything going on around them. Be prepared to see one of them driving towards you, through a red light, and with no awareness that you are there - and do whatever is necessary to avoid them, because they won’t attempt to avoid you.

So I guess the general theme is: defensive positioning, and when in doubt, swallow your pride and get the fuck out of the way. It might make you feel better to give someone the finger, but publicly insulting someone is (in Taiwan) a more serious offence than attempting to cause death and mayhem. This is because Taiwanese people do not care if they die or kill other people (I may have got that bit wrong, but I’ve heard no other plausible explanation). If you can’t suck it down and keep your blood pressure away from the redline, stay off the roads.

Oops. That kinda turned into a rant.

26

Don’t panic. No way this is being stickied unless something really extraordinary happens. This topic has been done to death many times. Suggest an earlier thread for merge (there must be loads of candidates) and I will look at it.

27

Here’s a similar topic. How to ride safely (and still have fun)

28

the key to scooter safety is to get to the front of the pack (snake up at red lights), stay at the front of the pack, and keep your head on a swivel for people blindly merging onto the street you’re on.

most accidents happen in the fray, get out of the fray.

29

That’s a good one, Deuce.

My advice is to imagine, every time you get on a scooter, that several people today in cars, trucks and buses, and on scooters, will actively try to kill you when you least expect it (because in Taiwan, that’s pretty much the most common cause of “accidents”). Then ride accordingly.

30

.

31

[quote=“finley”]It’s soooo tempting to go off on a rant, but I’ll try not to. For the newbies not familiar with Taiwan’s driving, and from the rider’s perspective, here’s my list:

  1. Your scooter doesn’t exist. Because a scooter is small, car drivers do not allow them space. You will often hear people here say “what’s in front of you is your problem - what’s behind you is someone else’s problem”. Well, what’s behind you is your problem if it kills you. Use your mirrors. All the time. Position yourself aggressively (ie., plenty of space on your right) so that you can get out of Xiao Ming’s way when he overtakes you (in the same lane) in daddy’s Lexus with barely inches to spare.
  2. On the same theme: go with the flow; match the traffic speed. Do not attempt to hug the side of the road and drive slowly. Otherwise, you will simply get crushed into the kerb by the stream of overtaking cars.
  3. Red lines do not exist. Stay away from parked cars. People will crowd you into them, and people will open doors without looking. The law is flouted so regularly people think a red line indicates a parking area.
  4. Uncontrolled junctions are not junctions. Most people simply consider the road they’re joining to be part of the road they’re already on, and will neither stop nor indicate - the fucked-up Taiwanese version of Priorité à droite. So YOU need to stop. Again, use your mirrors so you can check if there’s a blue truck following you. Then, when Mr Clever Businessman pulls out from a side road directly in front of you (perfectly acceptable, because SUVs have priority, dontcha know) you won’t run into the back of him and/or become the meat slice in a car sandwich. Try not to take it personally when this happens.
  5. Turning left is a free-for-all. In countries with driving tests, people know to turn left behind the oncoming vehicle. In Taiwan, they will turn in front of you, which causes an immense snarl-up. Just keep your head, keep going where you’re going, and remember the bigger vehicle has priority. Mr Bus Driver or SUV Driver is quite entitled to squash you flat if you’re in his way, because you’re on a scooter and he isn’t. Again, try not to take it personally.
  6. Keep your distance. This applies anywhere, of course, but it will save your life many times if you leave adequate space between you and the vehicles around you. This is mainly because when the vehicle in front of you has an accident (and it will, eventually) you don’t get caught in the pile-up.
  7. Traffic lights are purely advisory. Let the Taiwanese believe this if they want to. Don’t even think about copying them, even when they start hooting you because the lights have changed to a green filter arrow and they think that means “go, regardless”.
  8. Boy racers. There’s always some stupid kid who thinks it’s clever to weave across the road at 80kph, usually on a scooter. He will die eventually, but you don’t want to be around when he does (as per No.6). Just get out of his way and let him do his thing.
  9. Grandma/granddad. These guys grew up in a different era and usually have no driving license (for whatever that’s worth). They will drive into oncoming traffic, with no helmet, feet swinging an inch from the road “in case they fall off” and completely ignore everything going on around them. Be prepared to see one of them driving towards you, through a red light, and with no awareness that you are there - and do whatever is necessary to avoid them, because they won’t attempt to avoid you.

So I guess the general theme is: defensive positioning, and when in doubt, swallow your pride and get the fuck out of the way. It might make you feel better to give someone the finger, but publicly insulting someone is (in Taiwan) a more serious offence than attempting to cause death and mayhem. This is because Taiwanese people do not care if they die or kill other people (I may have got that bit wrong, but I’ve heard no other plausible explanation). If you can’t suck it down and keep your blood pressure away from the redline, stay off the roads.

Oops. That kinda turned into a rant.[/quote]

Rants like this one save lives. Possibly even my own.

I had spent a few weeks in India. Trust me, Taiwanese drivers are angels compared to Indian drivers. Have you ever seen drivers so hell-bent on overtaking the vehicles in front of them that they will cross over to the other side of the road in the face of oncoming traffic? These suicidal acts happened like literally every second. You would see the driver of your cab crossing over to the other side and narrowly missing an oncoming truck by quickly returning to the left side of the road. That plus the endless honking is enough to put me off India for a pretty long time.

I didn’t know such crazy driving exist in this world until my sojourn into India. That it was a eye-opener was to put it mildly.

32

I lived in India for a few years and Taiwan for 20, and this is not how I see it. I never came across an Indian driver with the ‘face problem’. Sure, there are a lot of idiots on the road, and a lot of hard-faced heartless bastards, but I never had the feeling they would rather die than lose a ‘race’ the other person probably wasn’t even aware of having joined. Indians have faith in their gods before the laws of physics, Taiwanese are more superstitious than religious, and neither seem to accept the idea that human actions alone are going to determine whether they live or die. But, Taiwanese often have this competitive streak in them that insists not on getting from A to B in the shortest time, but getting to the next light faster than YOU, or somehow arriving with more show. I am sure it’s this stubbornness and fear of somehow losing face for being overtaken (or just kept up with) that causes half of the accidents. The other half is the simple stupidity you experienced in India.

At least in India there is that daily moment of pure magic that makes up for all the craziness…

33

Very well said. :bravo: Face and motor vehicles are a deadly combination here in TW. I see countless instances of recklessness and dangerous driving everyday and it is simply the selfishness of ego and thinking they (the dangerous driver collective) have to be first. Not to say that it doesn’t happen everywhere, but as redwagon mentions, some of these nutters either have a deathwish, an immortality complex or just don’t seem to understand that hitting the pavement will hurt a lot. I get angry at having to share the road with such selfish individuals. Sure, there’s a lot of traffic, but that’s no reason to put other people at risk. :fume:

34

That only makes sense if you care about other people (which, obviously, most drivers here don’t).

35

Very well said. :bravo: Face and motor vehicles are a deadly combination here in TW. I see countless instances of recklessness and dangerous driving everyday and it is simply the selfishness of ego and thinking they (the dangerous driver collective) have to be first. Not to say that it doesn’t happen everywhere, but as redwagon mentions, some of these nutters either have a deathwish, an immortality complex or just don’t seem to understand that hitting the pavement will hurt a lot. I get angry at having to share the road with such selfish individuals. Sure, there’s a lot of traffic, but that’s no reason to put other people at risk. :fume:[/quote]
I’m glad I live in the civilization of Taipei County and only basically drive there and Taipei City, and only need to drive around 400km per week, so that I don’t have to experience this kind of stuff. It would put me RIGHT off driving!

36

Very well said. :bravo: Face and motor vehicles are a deadly combination here in TW. I see countless instances of recklessness and dangerous driving everyday and it is simply the selfishness of ego and thinking they (the dangerous driver collective) have to be first. Not to say that it doesn’t happen everywhere, but as redwagon mentions, some of these nutters either have a deathwish, an immortality complex or just don’t seem to understand that hitting the pavement will hurt a lot. I get angry at having to share the road with such selfish individuals. Sure, there’s a lot of traffic, but that’s no reason to put other people at risk. :fume:[/quote]
I’m glad I live in the civilization of Taipei County and only basically drive there and Taipei City, and only need to drive around 400km per week, so that I don’t have to experience this kind of stuff. It would put me RIGHT off driving![/quote]

This type of behavior is visible in highway traffic. Frequently the slower car you pass will accelerate when it notices you.
The other reason for that, besides “face”, is that many drivers simply follow other cars behavior instead of actively deciding on certain speed.

Makes me laugh when I see people “racing” against my cruise control. 9 times out of 10 they lose against auto preset to 105% of speed limit.
It is a fun to observe a war of nerves: “face” vs risk of getting speeding ticket :slight_smile:

You can also take advantage of that by pretending you are overtaking. This in many cases will make the other driver speed up for a while - which can help make a space for a lane change or simply motivate him to drive faster.

37

Reminds me of a surreal conversation I had when mentioning that (when in England) I prefer driving very late at night if I have a long journey, because I know the roads will be clear.

Homo Taiwanensis var. Hellokittyae (female) is aghast. “You don’t want to do that!”, she says.

“Why not?”, says I, puzzled.

“Very dangerous. You will drive too fast when it’s dark”, she replies, earnestly, as if speed is a law of nature that is imposed upon us, rather than something we regulate ourselves with the gas pedal.

Ai-Yo.

38

[quote=“Mordeth”]
My neighbor was riding along doing 10-20km/hr and hit someone’s door as they opened it, fell off her scooter sideways and hit her head hard enough to kill her. She died.[/quote]

10-20km/h is between normal running speed and an athletes running speed. How does someone die from coming off a bike at running speed? A car hit them after they came off?

I don’t state this to get into an argument, it just has me wondering how.