Story by Quinn Redeker | Photos by Kevin Wing
Motorcycle riders are not the king of the jungle. Yes, putting on a heavy motorcycle jacket, strapping on a helmet and gloves, and firing up our bike can generate an intoxicating blend of confidence, endorphins, and the perception of invincibility. But the fact is that any pimply faced teen armed with nothing more than a Smart car will overpower even the biggest, toughest motorcycle rider on the planet without misspelling a single word in their text message. And that got me thinking.
Motorcycling makes us 4‑5 times more likely to be injured per mile traveled when compared to driving a car, so it makes sense that we should take training classes and wear high‑quality protective apparel. But what do we do to prepare for road rage situations? Not worth a conversation, you say? Research shows that road rage incidents have increased dramatically over the past 10 years. So yeah, I think it warrants a discussion.
But rather than just examining road rage, I’d like to walk through a few ideas on how to best mitigate it. My goal today is to get you to think sensibly and strategically about getting from place to place safely when faced with a road rage incident. But understand, there are a myriad of possible scenarios that might play out and a wide range of training and experience in this room right now, so think of this as food for thought. If you have a better plan that contradicts anything we discuss, absolutely implement it and keep yourself safe.
Heavy traffic and delays: When people are jammed up in heavy traffic, they can get agitated and angry. Especially if they are already late for traffic court. So imagine their further frustration when they see you in the rearview, bobbing and weaving as you work your way through gaps in traffic. In states where lane splitting is legal, drivers may feel like you’re cheating. Mix it all together, and it can be enough to light the fuse. Of course, not everybody loses control and acts, but some do, so we need to plan for things like vehicles cutting into our path of travel, blocking us, or possibly opening their door as we approach. It happens.
If these situations come our way, my first recommendation is to slow down, give them some physical space, and give a respectful wave and nod to let them know we acknowledge their frustrations and are not looking for trouble. That alone might be enough to settle them down, enabling us to calmly move past and keep going. From here on out, the more distance we create, the better. On the other hand, if the driver is less friendly and attempts to block our path, our goal is to keep moving, so we need to make a snappy direction change. Access a roadway shoulder or carpool lane or get other drivers to move so you can progress across lanes. Don’t be afraid to be animated and vocal toward other drivers to get their attention and communicate your intentions, but whatever you do, be quick about it. Once you have a clear path, get down the road and create meaningful distance before you put your brain back into Fahrvergnügen mode.
Perceived disregard for the rules of the road: We’ve all seen motorcyclists blatantly disregard traffic laws and, in the process, trigger emotional responses from other drivers. And while I’m confident you aren’t the problem, it’s entirely possible that a volatile commuter who regularly encounters stunters on public roads or unsafe lane splitting or was just cut off by three sportbikes will paint you with the same brush. Now imagine that same agitated commuter sees you in their rearview, decides they’re done playing nice, and attempts to dole out some justice by swerving at you, brake checking you, or worse. Not great.
Now because we are on a motorcycle, which is lighter, smaller, quicker, and more agile, we might want to take a page out of the animal kingdom and attempt to flee, with a simple twist of the wrist. But let’s think this through, because speeding away will simultaneously put the driver behind us to track our movements while causing us to lose critical intelligence about where they are and what they’re doing. More importantly, running might further agitate and embolden the driver to chase us when they might have forgotten all about it at some point. Instead, let’s keep them in front of us (assuming traffic is flowing) and maintain a clear line of sight. Don’t yell, don’t honk your horn, don’t rev your engine; just take deep breaths and focus on what’s happening in front of you.
Next, we can change direction to increase the odds this whole saga comes to an end. All we need to do is wait for the driver to pass a freeway exit or clear an intersection and then quickly turn off the main road. The trick here is to make sure they are far enough ahead of the exit ramp or intersection that they can’t follow once we’ve altered our direction. Once executed, we’ll keep moving and not let our guard down until we get to our destination, because we no longer have a visual on our unhappy traveler.
If prior to executing our direction change, the two of us will be caught at a traffic light together, we’ll immediately execute a right‑hand turn at the first opportunity and gain distance, making sure to breathe, remain calm, and appear non‑confrontational. Although you might not be headed in the desired direction at this point, stopping at the light is not an option because it can trap you in a place where you must interact with the angry driver. Even if it requires something as drastic as momentarily accessing a sidewalk, steps, or walking path to escape a hostile situation, the detour is safer in the end.
Right‑of‑way disputes: I’m sure you would agree that whenever we perceive having the right‑of‑way and are not afforded it, we get agitated. I’ve seen cars chase after bicyclists, pedestrians hurl lunch leftovers at buses, and the occasional roadside boxing match because someone took somebody’s right‑of‑way. And hey, I’ve made the mistake myself, upsetting someone in the process. And when I do, I make a point to slow a bit, lift my face-
shield, throw out a sheepish smile and wave, and politely continue down the road, keeping track of the driver’s response. But no matter what, I won’t engage in any roadside debates, regardless of what anybody thinks happened. And I keep moving.
This goes for all the times I’ve been cut off, had my turn‑in line blocked, been tailgated, been crowded in a lane, or any number of other poor driving behaviors that forced me to take evasive action. Let it go. Don’t honk or yell, punch their hood, snap off a mirror, or stop to educate them. Let’s get you where you’re going.
Lastly, calling 911 is always an option, but be prepared to provide your location, direction of travel, and a description of yourself and the other vehicle, while keeping everything else we discussed in motion. Oh, and if you’re currently befuddled as to how you would contact 911 while safely and efficiently managing all this other stuff, work it out right now, because you won’t have time to figure it out on the fly.
Quinn wears Schuberth helmets, Richa apparel, Lee Parks Design gloves, and Indie Ridge boots. Find out more at Quinn’s website, PoliceMotorTraining.com. Send feedback to rider@ridermagazine.com.