Motorcycle Rider Superstitions and Safety

My girlfriend Simone, 2022

 Years ago, not long after I had sta    rted riding, I stopped one day somewhere at a roadside cafe in the Western Cape for coffee, and innocently put my helmet down 'upside down' on the ground. I had no idea this was considered to some riders a faux pas. A stranger immediately came hurriedly up to me looking simultaneously offended, worried and agitated, and angrily said to me:

"Never put your helmet down upside down!" He scolded. "The way you put your helmet is the way you're going to land on the road!"

My girlfriend on my bike, 2022

He seemed convinced I was going to have an accident because I put my helmet down "wrong".

I didn't say anything at the time. I just kept quiet, and he walked off. Initially I felt like I'd done something 'wrong', but I thought about this in the back of my mind for a long while, and have since concluded that (objectively and rationally) this is really just pure superstition.

And I made a decision to promise myself to never, ever rely on any form of superstition (not even a little bit) to keep safe on the road. I refuse.

To stay safe on the road you must always have your wits 200% about you. I don't want to even be subconsciously slightly incorrectly feeling like I'm somehow slightly safer because I put my helmet down the 'right' way when I'm not even riding.

So still today I regularly deliberately put my helmet down the "wrong" way, to remind and reaffirm to myself never to rely on superstition.

Personally I think it sends the wrong message to younger riders to even suggest believing in superstitions may help you stay safe on the road. Trying to trust superstitions may get you killed.

I still don't know if this is a commonly held 'belief' in motorcycle communities worldwide? Anyone else heard of this? Nobody else ever mentioned it again.

I'm no expert, I still consider myself a novice after about 12 years of riding, but here are a few of my personal basic 'ground rules' for trying to keep safe:

* Respect the laws of physics at all times. If you think you can beat the laws of physics, even for a moment, you're dead. The laws of physics are brutal and unforgiving. Every molecule in your body, the road, your motorcycle, must all obey the laws of physics at all times. No exceptions.

* Alcohol and motorbikes don't mix. Not even a tiny bit. There is no such thing as "just one drink" if you're riding a motorcycle. If drinking is an important part of your social life or something, it's advisable to sell your motorbike. "Just one drink" can and will impact your riding ability (everything from balance to reaction times) past the point of dangerous, just don't do it, it's not worth it. Fortunately I don't like drinking anyway, I think there are better pastimes.

* Own your lane

* Stay within the limits of what you feel safe doing.

* Always be aware of human cognitive deficiencies (e.g. always double-check before changing lane that there isn't a car there, no matter how "sure you are" that there isn't one, because the brain makes mistakes)

* Never let anyone else dictate your pace - always ride the pace you feel comfortable with. Even if it means being left behind. E.g. if you are riding with a friend and they keep riding much faster and you don't feel safe going that speed - just let them go further ahead. Likewise if riding in a group. Your life isn't worth pushing yourself past your own 'operating limits', whether for ego or some other reason - your gut knows. Ignore your ego, be aware of it and don't let it get you killed.

* Don't rely on superstitions to believe they're going to make you 'safer', rely on your brain (and on knowing the types of mistakes human brains make)

* If I see a car in front of me even slightly wavering in their lane (e.g. swaying even slightly left or right or toward the lane edges), I pull back to steady speed and won't go past until I see their intention and scope the situation further - very frequently, my 'gut' is right and they're e.g. on their phones zig-zagging and not even watching

* Assume drivers may be drunk, or texting on their phones, or bought their licenses etc. - all of which are very common

* Never be arrogant 

* Watch out for side roads

* Try display unambiguous intentions as far as possible (e.g. don't sit at the left of your lane unless you explicitly want cars to try pass you, as if you might want or need to get in the middle of the lane again to avoid danger ahead, you may find a car in your lane trying to pass you) ... showing wishy-washy or overly "polite" 'vehicle body language' is inviting danger ... take up space, take up the space you  need to stay safe

* Assume all other vehicles are trying to kill you, all the time (which is not that far from the truth, especially on South African roads)

* Assume other vehicles may be coming through red traffic light even when it's green for you

* Never overtake on blind rises

* Extra lessons from experienced riders can be useful

* Know when you're too tired

* Do things like adjusting of helmets etc. before pulling off (e.g. if passenger still adjusting helmet when you pull off, they're vulnerable)

* Selectively use sound to help alert drivers of your presence

* Passenger must hold on tight at all times

* Be constantly alert for things like gusts of wind (or a flailing passenger on back not sitting still) that can 'pull' the bike or throw the bike into the oncoming lane or off the road if you're new to riding

* etc.

* More: https://safelyhome.westerncape.gov.za/road-safety/529

What else?

Might I still have an accident? Yes, of course, but at least if I do I'll know it wasn't caused by me trying to rely on some type of superstition. The way you ride is the biggest factor, and the only factor you have control of. Stay sober, healthy, fit, mentally alert.

Me and my girlfriend Simone 2022

Clarence Drive, near Gordons Bay (South Africa)

Clarence Drive, near Gordons Bay

Clarence Drive, near Rooi Els

Also, the brain adjusts to risk; it's a known phenomenon that those who ride cars with more safety features tend to take more chances, thereby compensating for the reduced risk from the safety features. So the concern I have is that if your brain even slightly feels safer because of any superstitious element, you might end up taking more chances at just the wrong time.

 

I feel, rather always be aware that nothing is protecting you - that even a slight lapse in alertness or judgment can get you killed - and that there's only a thin line between you and death. And the way you put your helmet down isn't going to change that.

Many young riders think they can beat the laws of physics, or let their egos push them to push past their limits. Motorbikes are in some sense to a small degree a form of Darwinian selection.

Or is there maybe some argument to be made that if someone believes they have some sort of superstitious protection, they're less likely to 'freeze up' in an emergency situation? A sort of 'human element'