Fight or Flight - Is It Enough?

You may well be aware of the principle of 'fight or flight'. If not, here's a quick primer:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fight-or-flight_response

The fight-or-flight response (also called the fight-or-flight-or-freeze response, hyperarousal, or the acute stress response) was first described by Walter Bradford Cannon.

His theory states that animals react to threats with a general discharge of the sympathetic nervous system, priming the animal for fighting or fleeing. This response was later recognized as the first stage of a general adaptation syndrome that regulates stress responses among vertebrates and other organisms.


Immediate physical reactions associated with a preparation for violent muscular action. These include the following:
- Acceleration of heart and lung action
- Paling or flushing, or alternating between both
- Inhibition of stomach and upper-intestinal action to the point where digestion slows down or stops
- General effect on the sphincters of the body
- Constriction of blood vessels in many parts of the body
- Liberation of nutrients (particularly fat and glucose) for muscular action
- Dilation of blood vessels for muscles
- Inhibition of the lacrimal gland (responsible for tear production) and salivation
- Dilation of pupil (mydriasis)
- Relaxation of bladder
- Inhibition of erection
- Auditory exclusion (loss of hearing)
- Tunnel vision (loss of peripheral vision)
- Disinhibition of spinal reflexes
- Shaking

To be honest, you have to be pretty scared to suffer all of those in one go - and incredibly self-aware to recognise all of them (which would tend to suggest you still had mental capacity 'spare' to do something useful about it!).

But the one you're most likely to suffer from is the 'tunnel vision', and the way you'll suffer it is by keeping your concentration on whatever it is you're scared of.

In typical riding terms, this is likely to be an extremely hard object - wall, tree, vehicle - on the outside of the corner you're heading into.

Of course, where you look is - usually - where you go, so with vision firmly locked onto the very object which (if given a choice) you'd definately choose not to hit . . . you hit it. Of course, it's too late for 'flight' (unless it's a low wall), and you can't fight an oncoming vehicle (well, not for long, and not often with much chance of winning).

Keith Code has covered 'survival reactions' thoroughly in Twist of the Wrist 2.

http://www.superbikeschool.com/news/press-coverage/bike_this_man.php

SURVIVAL REACTIONS are the involuntary adjustments your body makes in situations that it feels are dangerous. "The body isn’t smart," says Code. "It’s only interested in right now." Survival reactions are bad. They make you brake too hard, turn in too early, tense up, get tunnel vision, chop the throttle and do a host of other things that interfere with good riding. With practice and skill they can be defeated.

However, I'm not sure that the way it's described there - in particular 'defeating' those reactions - is the best way of thinking about this.

So, perhaps we should 'enlarge' the fight or flight choice?

To me, fight or flight suggests two arrows: one head-on forwards, towards the 'fight', while 'flight' is directly behind us - an impossible task!

Instead, I suggest we had two 'sideways' options, to make a set of four arrows:

We'll call these arrows 'Escape' and 'Evade'.

Any of you who've spent time in the military may recognise the term, as it's used for the training given to aircrew who are likely to be downed behind enemy lines; evade capture and escape from captivity.

For us, as riders, they perhaps give a better idea of how the 'fight or flight' responses can be mastered. We can avoid the situation, or we can evade it getting worse.

Let's return to the corner with the wall/tree/vehicle: on the approach we put the 'avoid' into action by looking and planning, but - more importantly - we also are prepared for likely eventualities (it's not a big secret that tight bends are often followed by a bend the opposite way, that blind corners tighten, or that they can hide oobstructions). Being prepared means you've already taken care of some of the reaction time you'll need. You can even mentally rehearse the actions you'll need to take. If 'it' happens, then those actions go 'live' - you evade the danger.

Fight or flight? Nope, Escape and Evade!





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Google Reckons That . . .

Google's journey planner service suggests that I'll be able to complete this trip in 1 hour 47 minutes.
I'm not so sure . . .

I'll get the map book out . . .






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Am Dram and the DSA?

Recently I've been to see a couple of amateur dramatics shows, one in a small theatre the other outdoors.
The indoor show was "Dangerous Corner" (appropriate for a road-related blog :) ) by JB Priestly, and presented by the New Era Players.
http://www.neweraplayers.org/
The outdoor show (alongside the Thames in Reading, on a glorious July evening) was Shakespeare's "The Tempest", presented by the Prospect Players.
http://www.progresstheatre.co.uk/
Both, as I've said, were by amateurs - but both were superb.

Sadly, though, mid-way between them I had a long talk with the owner of a local bike training centre.  To precis: he's not positive about the future of UK bike training, which is currently reeling from the recession and the effects of the introduction of the Module One off-road test - with the imminent arrival of the EU 3rd Driving Licence Directive to hammer a few more nails in the coffin . . .
There may be a glimmer of hope in that plans - although they've not progressed very far - are in place to take the off-road test elements on-road (although I'm not clear whether that would mean that Module One would be totally removed from the costly MMA sites).  However, this isn't likely to be in place (or any place, IYSWIM) until next year. 
And that on top of some terrible weather they've endured during the last couple of winters, too.
But there may, long term, be even more difficulties on the way for bike
instructors.
When I first got involved with rider training it was through the RAC/ACU motorcycle training scheme (in those days we trained the motorcycles, not the riders.  While we're on that theme, why have 'railway stations' now become 'train stations'?  OK, it ties with 'bus station', but why the change?)
But back then, in the late 1970s, all civilian rider training (as far as I know) was conducted by amateurs.
The first professional rider training I can remember hearing about (the Southampton Motorcycle Centre, IIRC) was in the very early '80s.
Now, of course, even the few amateur groups remaining are working in a business area where the requirement is for substantial investment in bikes and sites.  There are probably few true amateurs remaining, but many part-time instructors.
It's been no secret that the DSA have been gradually aligning rider trainers with car ADIs.  Years ago there was a suggestion that all CBT instructors must be Cardington-qualified rather than down-trained (which, originally, allowed one 'Cardington' instructor to supervise up to 40 down-trained instructors).
The more recent RPMT (Register of Post-Test Motorcycle traininers) has its entry qualifications based on the ADI accreditation format, and teaching assessments follow the ADI format closely too.

So what's missing?

CPD - Continuing Professional Development.



http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/layer?topicId=1082825407
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) can be both formal and informal professional development, based on an individual's needs.

To maximise individual potential and retain credibility within your profession it is essential that you maintain high levels of professional competence.
As a driver trainer you can make a commitment towards professionalism by keeping up to date and continually seeking to improve your knowledge and expertise.
CPD is strongly supported by all the national driving instructor associations. The Driving Standards Agency continues to work with these organisations and other stakeholders to encourage and promote the take-up of CPD.
A structured CPD scheme is one of the options being considered as part of wider proposals to modernise the driver training profession. This would be the subject of public consultation before it could be implemented.

So, if DSA take the bike=car instructor qualification route even further (an noting that commercial vehicle - eg HGV - drivers also now have to take a minimum amount of CPD), then it won't be too long before it's imposed onto rider trainers.  Not ideal for full-timers, but nowhere near as 'good' for the part-timers, who'll have to give up unpaid time (and, presumably, take leave from the 'day job') to take CPD training.

But, in my experience, the 'average' bike instructor isn't that bad, and will be doing the 'job' because they have the interest both in what they're doing and in self-development.  The difference is that any development will have been informal and might not meet any 'mandatory CPD' requirements.
There's also a reasonable point that the bike test pass rate has historically always been higher than the 'car' rate - suggesting that bike instructors might be 'better' anyway :)  Remember, too, a lot of that will have been with amateur instructors . . .

It's a mistake to think that qualified = better, or that amateur = worse.

After all, one of Prospect's amateur actors from a few years ago is now fairly well-know, a certain Kenneth Branagh . . .



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Radios - Can You hear Me?

The use of bike-to-bike radios during rider trainng really only 'took off' after the introduction of CBT.

Since then, radios have improved from the 49MHz sets first used (with a range of about 100 metres line of sight - great when you have one trainee in front, three behind, and the traffic lights change as the convoy is half-way through . . . ) to the widespread availability of the 'PMR446' systems.

Also, there are more 'professional' GMRS radios available (the PMR sets are often little more than 'toys', although there are some more substatial systems on the market, such as the Kenwood systems).

Unfortunately, there is a minor hitch in that those professional and PMR radios have channels that aren't compatible!

However, if you're in the situation where you need to pair-up one of each, it is possible to set the channels to get them talking (and listening).

One example set up is for the TH-3101 (GMRS) <> UBZ-LJ8 (PMR446)


Channel 1 Ch 1 <>  Group Mode 10
Channel 3 Ch 3 <>  Group Mode 13
Channel 5 Ch 4 <>  Group Mode 17
Channel 6 Ch 2 <>  Group Mode 18
Channel 7 Ch 7 <>  Group Mode 19
Channel 8 Ch 5 <>  Group Mode 7
Channel 10 Ch 8 <>  Group Mode 15
Channel 12 Ch 6 <>  Group Mode 6

 
NB
The GMRS typically has 15 GMRS channels with channel scan and 121 sub-channels/privacy codes (38 conventional QT codes and 83 DQT codes).
PMR has 8 channels, usually with 38 mode codes per channel.


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It's Not The Drop . . . Is It Your Invisible Energy?

An oft-heard expression amongst drivers and riders is that 'speed isn't dangerous' - after all, like parchutists say: "It's not the drop, it's the stop!".

This theme is expanded in 'STEVE and animation for road safety!'

STEVE - a quirky, lively and poignant animation aims to give the viewers a different perspective on road safety by focusing on the hidden danger on the roads. Deaths due to road crash injuries is the number one killer of youth between 15 and 29 years old.



GRSP is a hosted project of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, based in Geneva. GRSP's vision is a world free of road-crash death and injury.





More information on the YOURS (Youth for Road Safety) campaign here:
http://www.youthforroadsafety.org/

Downloads available include posters:
http://www.youthforroadsafety.org/uploads/tekstblok_bijlagen/rs_surreal_posters_ob_eng_lwres.pdf


One area they're looking at is that of people wearing earphones and not being able to hear traffic noise, with some 'official' videos and others made . . . err . . by 'others':











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Bikesafe - The Secret is Out!

The rumour mill is leaking news that Thames Valley Police (covering Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire) have been given approval to take part in the national Bikesafe initiative, typically one-day sessions as a 'taster' of advanced rider training.  Until now they've been a noticeable 'hole' in the UK coverage map of areas providing it.

The sessions are likely to start next year, and cost £75.  With the recent news that TVP are likely to be losing many officers over the next few years and with their 'traffic' division merging with Hampshire's - and further manpower cuts, this introduction of Bikesafe is somewhat surprising!

What, perhaps, makes this all the more amazing is that Thames Valley police were involved right at the start of Bikesafe back in 2000, including this video featuring the late Phil Curtis, a legendary character, police motorcycle instructor and experienced racer, and some bloke called Troy Bayliss (whatever happened to him?):








More about Bikesafe:
http://www.bikesafe.co.uk/Index.aspx

‘BikeSafe’ is a nationwide police-led motorcyclist casualty reduction initiative that is run by the majority of forces throughout England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The scheme in various guises has been in existence for many years. There are presently 43 forces in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland participating. Large numbers of riders attend ‘BikeSafe’ sessions annually. ‘BikeSafe’ works toward Government casualty reduction targets in an effort to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured in road collisions.


‘BikeSafe’ strategy is to engage with post-test riders in a conflict free environment to consider and analyse why motorcycle crashes are happening, including the attitudinal and motivational issues. There are fewer causes than you might imagine with five strong themes emerging throughout the country. Filtering, junctions, cornering, overtaking and group riding are the problem areas. Really obvious things seem to be placing everyday riders in life threatening scenarios.

In the classroom, ‘BikeSafe’ can offer potential solutions to the most prevalent crash causes and thereafter, following an observed ride element, prepare an individual rider development report which can be taken to a post-test training provider. ‘BikeSafe’ is about ‘Bridging the Gap’ into accredited training.



Fast approaching . . .

The National Bikesafe Event
http://www.bikesafe.co.uk/News/Article/National-BikeSafe-Event.aspx

A great family day out on the 4th September 2011. 10am – 5pm at The Heritage Motor Centre, Junction 12, M40. Entry into the event is free. Museum admission prices apply. For more information http://www.heritage-motor-centre.co.uk/ or call 01926 641188
If you ride a motorbike or scooter this is the show for you!
• Manufacturers/dealer bikes
• Motorcycle clubs
• Motorcycle stunt riders and displays
• Try before you buy scooter arena
• Observed rides available - conditions apply
• Motorcycle clothing and accessories
• Refreshments

Information flyer (pdf):
https://www.bikesafe.co.uk/Uploads/ContentPages/CMS/Documents/National%20Event%20flyer%202011.pdf



And finally . . . (as they used to say on all the best TV news broadcasts), this isn't from Bikesafe:



I think they meant 'bike save'!


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Big Match Nerves

There seems to be a variety of sport about at the moment in the news: Henley Regatta, Wimbledon tennis, golf, and the Olympics are never far from the news either.
All of these require the participants to be a the peak of their potential - but able to perform without distraction from the inevitable pressures of crowds and media attention.
You might not think that sort of 'big match' pressure would ever apply to you while out riding, but it can.

I had a Born Again trainee who could do one thing at once, not two. She could perform good clutch control and ride well in a straight line. When parked, she could turn her head to look through a turn.
But not together.
So I asked whether she liked music, and what type?
“Well,” answered this mother of two teenage boys “Heavy rock, actually!”


So I got her to sing ‘Born to be wild’ as I pushed her around a loop (big enough that we’d just got to the chorus at the end of the first verse as I collapsed). Quite happily, she was looking through the turn.


The way I use this is that the left, logical, side of the brain is the side that nags: “Oooh, last time you were in front of a crowd you tensed up. Whatever you do, don’t think about TENSING UP!”. So the right side of the brain, that just wants to get on and do it, gets over-ruled.

Solution? Give the left side something to do, it’ll be happy when it’s busy and won’t make mischief.
Singing is good as it takes a lot of concentration. Another – particularly good for riders who’ve had cornering problems (that’s a euphemism for ‘crash’) can tell the L side to talk them through what they should be doing rather than picking fault: “Slow now, press now, look now, roll now”, etc.

People talk about ‘the power of positive thought’ without actually understanding what it can achieve or its limits – try using the ‘tell me’ method to juggle and you won’t be able to think fast enough! Also, if you’re going to talk yourself through an action you need to know what ‘perfect’ looks like.
Then use self-awareness to measure how you need to ‘close the gap’, set small targets for achievement that you can complete. This is where an instructor can help, both with target setting (deciding exercises etc.) and encouragement.

Visualisation is excellent, too.
Long version:
http://www.dropzone.com/safety/articles/Visualizing.shtml
Shorter:
http://www.skydive-info.com/skydiving/showthread.php?t=235
http://www.skydive-info.com/skydiving/showthread.php?p=1711

 
 
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Road Safety Dog?

No, not that dog, it just seemed like a good place to re-use the photo.

 

 

 

The BBC's Top Gear programme has its very own TGD - Top Gear Dog - so I thought there should be an equivalent: Road Safety Dog :)

 

I've used a 'dog' comparison previously when discussing better riding (or better driving, if you prefer), in particular comparing the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) use of the mental system 'Search Predict Act' (now superseded by Search Evaluate Execute) against the UK's 'Observe Plan Act'.

 

What's the difference? Well, I like words and, following on from the UK's history of police-derived rider training, the word 'observe' puts me in mind of a copper sat in a car 'on obbo', filling his face with coffee and doughnuts - observing a premises or person; very static, very reactive.

 

Compare that to the police ‘drugs’ dog, searching for a hidden stash - sticking his nose in everywhere, no stone unturned; an active, dynamic process.

 

Now put both into the riding context. Which do you think is best, a passive 'waiting for something to happen' attitude - or an active attitude, searching for hazards ahead. It's probably not a surprise that I prefer the 'active' attitude of the word 'search'.

 

So why am I bringing Road Safety Dog out for another walk along the highways?

 

Well, he provides a very simple way of explaining how 'visibility' differs from 'conspicuity', and the varying types of conspicuity which exist.

 

So, what is 'visibility'? Quite simply, it means something is visible, it's not hidden. Inside his kennel RSD is probably hidden from your view, so he's not visible. When he walks out to bask in the Sun he then becomes visible.

 

 

 

But is he 'conspicuous'?

 

 

 

Well, possibly. But there are three levels of conspicuity:

• Search conspicuity
• Attention conspicuity
• Cognitive conspicuity

 

RSD can do all of these! In doing so, he may help you understand how you may - or may not - be seen when out on the road.

 

If you walk into a room, and just glance around, you may miss Road Safety Dog because he’s asleep in the far corner. But if I ask you to look for a dog you’re more likely to see him. That, perhaps unsurprisingly, is called ‘search conspicuity’.

 

However, I didn’t ask you to look for him, so you’ve walked across the room but, unfortunately, happen to be near his favourite toy. He’s not happy - so growls. You look around, and see RSD. He growled, you looked. That’s ‘attention conspicuity’. In ‘road user’ terms that might be a headlamp, DRL or hi-viz – or tooting your horn to try and get a driver to look at you.

 

But you may not actually know what a dog is, or how sharp RSD’s teeth might be . . . If you know those things, then you might be more wary of picking up his bone without his permission. And that knowledge, those associations, are cognitive conspicuity – an understanding of the meaning ‘behind’ what you see. Again, in ‘road’ terms, a driver needs to know that ‘single light = motorcycle’, not ‘single light = car far away’, and also that ‘headlamp = person on a bike’. Better still, the driver would have an understanding of a bike’s braking and handling limitations.

 

 

 

At a guess, this was the 'ruff guide’ to road safety :)

 

 

  

Want to know more? Have a read here:

 

http://www.visualexpert.com/Resources/inattentionalblindness.html

Loads of interesting articles.

  

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Community Policing - Ilse of Man TT Style

Some people enjoy their work, but this police officer on the Ilse of Man really enjoys his work - and provides entertainment for the crowd too!

Seen during TT week 2011.




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Training Downloads

A couple of free training downloads, written by US MSF rider coach Becky Tillman of the Riders Edge Harley Davidson Academy of Motorcycling.

Slow riding and turning at slow speed
http://www.provincewidehog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Chapter-Slow-Riding-HD-Info.pdf

Understanding traction ('grip') and the traction 'pie'
http://www.windwardhog.net/Safety/GRABBING_A_PIECE_OF_TRACTION_PIE.pdf



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Hi-Viz - The Meaning is Clear

Ultimate hi-viz, perhaps?

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The Stig - Allenminium?

A visit today, to a show at Highclere Castle, which included ride in the 'Stig' simulator, featuring two laps of the 'Top Gear' test track (in a Veyron and a Caterham open-top single-seater). But I was intrigued by the advertising blurb displayed on the side of the truck . . .

To be honest, I don't know - and can't decide - whether this is a 'translation error' in best 'Chinese Whispers' fashion, whether the blurb was written by someone with limited (or no) engineering knowledge, or whether it's a simple mistake where someone knew what they meant but just didn't know exactly what the tool is called.


Background reading:

Allen Key

Alum

BBC Top Gear Test Track

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Cornering - Smug :)

Having a few minutes to spare, I took a rare opportunity and wandered into the local WH Smith to browse the motorcycle magazines.  MCS&L . . . interesting, but not that interesting . . . Ah!  RiDE, a 'better riding' article.  Who's it by?  members of the Lincs. casualty reduction team, or similar organisation.

Content?  Hmmmm . . . some's based around the three-step cornering system of 'Look-Lean-Roll'.

This particular system is taught by the Thames Vale Advanced Motorcyclists group (IAM affiliated) during a one (or half?) day course.

It's been developed from principles used by the US Motorcycle Safety Foundation, and taught on their courses.  In the early to mid 1990s the US Air Force had several bases in the UK, and one USAF Master Sgt, Garth Leonard, managed to get about 80 UK civilians through the MSF's 'advanced' course, the Experienced RiderCourse.  That number included 25 members of TVAM.

When the USAF mostly moved out of the UK at the end of the Cold War, and access to the course was no longer available, TVAM picked up the gauntlet and developed their own machine control course concentrating on just the 'cornering control' aspect.

So, why the 'smug' title to this post?

Well, I initiated the link-up with the USAF, initially in 1992 attended both 'leaner' and 'advanced' courses as a trainee, then in 1994 qualified as an MSF instructor, bringing along TVAM members to come of the courses I taught.  It's interesting to see how far the 'system' has moved on - especially since the current RiDE article doesn't use the system as originally intended.

In a strange way this also goes through, if not a loop then a twist, in that several years ago RiDE organised a set of post-test instructors to put some RiDE readers through training.

Here's one of the trainees, putting the MSF system into practice during the RiDE training session with, particularly here the 'Look through the corner' head turn is very obvious:

And here's the group during the theory session, including instructors from other training organisations:

Far left is journalist Damon I'Anson.

Read more on Slow, Look/Lean/Roll - and how it can be improved and simplified as a cornering system, here:
http://the-ride-info.blogspot.com/p/cornering.html


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Cornering - Going Viral?

Ever wondered why some Youtube videos go 'viral' but others don't?

Well, at the time of posting (Sat. 11th June) this one has gathered 55,800 views since it was posted on Youtube on the 7th June!




Rather him than me!  Although it did amuse that, when you watch it on Youtube, there's a 'show more' option . . . :)


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Helibikes new web site

Latest news from Alf Gasparro of the Thames Valley & Chiltern Air Ambulance:
Further to my previous correspondence, I am writing to update you on the Heli
Bikes Initiative.

After launching the Helibikes Facebook Page & Group Page, which has proven to be a good vehicle to disseminate information relating to motorcycling safety.

I have now launched a website to achieve the same objectives;www.helibikes.co.uk and I consider training to be a key component in
improving safety.

I have established a contacts page for training operations on the facebook
pages and I will be creating an area on the website shortly.


The site includes several first aid videos:
http://www.helibikes.co.uk/videos.html

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