WHY WE RIDE LIKE WE’RE INVISIBLE — AND WHY YOU SHOULD TOO

WHY WE RIDE LIKE WE’RE INVISIBLE — AND WHY YOU SHOULD TOO

Every time you throw a leg over a bike, you accept one uncomfortable truth:

Most drivers aren’t looking for you.

Not because they’re bad people.  
Not because they hate riders.  

Because human brains are wired to look for cars — not motorcycles.

And when they don’t see you, bad things happen fast.

THE REALITY: MOST MOTORCYCLE CRASHES AREN’T RANDOM

Across Australia, the majority of serious motorcycle crashes fall into a few predictable categories:

• A car turns across your path  
• A driver changes lanes into you  
• You’re caught in a truck’s blind spot  
• You’re hit after an initial collision  
• Loss of control in a a corner  

None of these require reckless riding to occur.

They happen to everyday riders. On normal roads. At normal speeds.

THE MINDSET THAT SAVES LIVES

Experienced riders don’t just ride defensively.

They ride as if they are invisible.

That means:

• Never assuming you’ve been seen  
• Expecting sudden, irrational moves  
• Planning an escape route at all times  
• Positioning yourself for survival, not convenience  

It sounds paranoid.

It’s actually practical.

ESCAPE ROUTES MATTER MORE THAN REACTIONS

If a vehicle moves unexpectedly, reaction time alone won’t save you.

Space will.

Elite street riders constantly scan for:

• A gap to accelerate into  
• Space to brake into  
• An open lane  
• A shoulder escape  
• A safe line between vehicles  

If no exit exists, they create one by slowing down or repositioning.

TRUCKS ARE MOVING BLIND ZONES

Many fatal motorway crashes involve heavy vehicles.

Key survival rules:

• Never sit beside a truck  
• Pass decisively or drop back  
• Assume the driver cannot see you  
• Stay out of trailer drift zones  
• Give far more space than you think you need  

If you can’t see the driver’s face in the mirror, you probably don’t exist to them.

INTERSECTIONS ARE THE MOST DANGEROUS PLACE ON THE ROAD

Most urban motorcycle fatalities occur here.

Watch for:

• Vehicles waiting to turn right  
• Cars creeping forward  
• Wheels starting to roll  
• Drivers looking past you instead of at you  

Rolling off slightly and covering your brakes can buy precious reaction time.

LANE POSITION CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE

Within a single lane, where you sit matters.

Good positioning:

• Improves visibility to other drivers  
• Gives better view of hazards ahead  
• Keeps you away from debris  
• Maintains escape options  

Great riders don’t sit in one spot — they adjust constantly.

SPEED ISN’T THE ONLY RISK FACTOR

Many serious crashes happen at modest speeds.

What matters more is speed relative to traffic and hazards.

Closing too quickly reduces your time to react and makes you harder to judge.

Smooth, predictable movement buys time.

THE NEXT-LEVEL MINDSET: ASSUME THEY WILL MOVE

Not just that they don’t see you.

Assume they will:

• Change lanes without looking  
• Pull out suddenly  
• Brake unexpectedly  
• Drift into your space  

Your job isn’t just to avoid danger — it’s to never be trapped by it.

RIDE WHERE YOU CAN SEE, BE SEEN, AND ESCAPE

That’s the goal on every ride.

Not to ride slow.  
Not to ride scared.  

To ride smart.

Because the goal isn’t just to ride.

It’s to ride again tomorrow.  
And the day after that.  
And for decades to come.

If you ride like you’re invisible, you’re not being paranoid.

You’re being prepared.

Stay safe out there.  
— Two Wheel Appeal