Wheels Of Grace Magazine

Volume 12, Issue 6

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12 | WheelsOfGrace.com | #58 Experienced motorcycle riders will o en refer to 'SIPDE' as a safety teaching mechanism that has go en them through some difficult situa ons on the road. Those of you who are familiar with this acronym will be nodding along in agreement, but if you aren't familiar with SIPDE, there's no shame – you've come to the right place! In this quick guide, we're going to explain how Scan, Iden fy, Predict, Decide, and Execute work to keep riders safe in precarious moments. We'll go through the recommended applica ons for each le er of the acronym individually, and how to best apply them all throughout your riding career to allow you to enjoy the open road stress-free. What does SIPDE stand for? SIPDE stands for "Scan, Iden fy, Predict, Decide, and Execute." It is designed to guide you through motorcycle riding situa onal awareness, and organized in a fashion that if you follow the le ers linearly, you should acclimate yourself to judging risk and avoiding dangerous situa ons. SCAN Whenever you start riding from a stands ll or change your pace, trajectory, or posi oning on a road, you should scan. Look for hazards in front, on all sides, and behind you using correct form and mirrors. Similarly, note traffic, road condi ons, people around you, and weather factors that might cause any irregulari es in your ride. IDENTIFY Typically, the things you scan for will not require a change in behavior or significant ac on. However, you want to get in the habit of not glossing over risk, so quickly iden fying outliers becomes valuable in your SIPDE rou ne. Some mes, the combina on of two things might present danger when each individual one would be fine alone. An example of this is inclement weather and traffic – they are both things that would keep your ride moderately cau ous on their own, but in tandem, they should put you on high alert. PREDICT Obviously, we don't have a crystal ball, but crea ng a mental range of outcomes well before you have to make a move can literally save your life. If you predict the most likely scenarios for a driver in front of you braking suddenly due to a pedestrian running on a city street (for example), you can then check which direc on is safe to go around, or even prep to stop well short. Speed, distance, visibility, and your surroundings all need to be taken into account constantly during the 'predict' stage. DECIDE Once you have predicted poten al trouble spots for your motorcycle ride, you need to decide on what your reac on will be to mul ple scenarios. This is where your understanding of the surrounding elements and the me necessary to react safely will be extremely valuable. Like any other high-speed and intense ac vity, this will become easier with me. You will begin to recognize pa erns in how certain dangers play out, but we always want to impart that vigilance is required for any skill level of rider. EXECUTE Follow your plan decisively when the me comes. Your ins ncts will typically lead you to safety, especially if you follow each element of SIPDE to develop this move. Use all the tools your bike has to help – brakes, lights, horn, or whatever else is involved to get you to safety. An understated element of execu on is acknowledging the difference By Law Tigers Why SIPDE is Important for Motorcycle Riding Safety

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