That no riders were killed is testament to their personal commitment to good road craft and to defensive and assertive riding. This is what I hate about the latest TAC ad - it doesn't match reality.
So let me summarise it as simply as I can:
You shouldn't speed, but don't think that is enough to save you. If you live to ride, then ride to live.
Your most effective safety measure when riding is your personal commitment to proactively protecting your own life, and an occupational and professional paranoia of every other road user, pedestrian, animal, environmental factor, act of god ... Our chief weapon is surprise, fear and surprise; two chief weapons, fear, surprise, and ruthless efficiency! Er, among our chief weapons are: fear, surprise, ruthless efficiency...
Can't emphasise this enough...
ReplyDeleteAs a new rider who would very much appreciate useful help and advice, I'm feeling completely unloved by TAC. As a rider who does *not* speed, and who thinks not only can one be a good rider and remain within the road rules, but also that doing so is an exercise in good judgement necessary to *be* a good rider, I'm frankly more than a little dissappointed to see myself at best ignored as a target audience by TAC... I don't feel safer as a result.