"I was nearly involved in a nasty crash"

Honestly, I was.

Nearly.

And for me that becomes a major event: not being involved in a crash!

While for many people they might not have realised what was happening, or how it could have turned out.

And that's how peoples' riding (and driving - in this non-incident I was in the car) varies.

Someone summed it along the lines that " . . . Most people drive to avoid crashing, while 'advanced' drivers drive to avoid the situations where crashing might occur".

It's variation of 'application' - how situations are identified, planned, and encountered, against 'awareness' - recognising the potential outcomes, and being honest and realistic about how they are influenced.

See my previous post: http://the-ride-info.blogspot.com/2008/10/superstitions-can-kill-you.html

So what was my not-very-near miss?

Sat in a queue, around a blind right hand bend, approached by a downhill exit slip from a motorway.

I'd left a gap between me and the car in front, and another couple of cars had stopped behind me.

But I was aware that where we were was 'blind' to approaching drivers, and despite and advisory 40 limit, it was usual to find drivers doing 60 ish.

So I was keeping a watch on the mirrors - if nothing more than to 'brace for impact' ;)

What hove in to view was a horsebox, going quite quickly.

However, the driver had it fully under control, and brought it smoothly to a halt.

Luckily, there was a hard shoulder alongside the left of the lane, and that's where the lorry stopped . . . alongside the last car in the queue.

So no real 'frights' for me (and the driver and her friend - neither of whom were belted in - didn't seem concerned either), apart from being grateful that there was 'spare' tarmac.

And to muse on the optimism displayed by many motorcyclists while cornering, without a care for obstructions around blind corners, or thought of how they'd stop, or how much distance they'd need if they had to.