Rider Fatigue
You’re on the last section of your journey and you recognise the signs of fatigue. Make the right choice and keep yourself and others safe.
Even experienced and safe riders make simple errors on a long journey. It doesn’t matter how experienced you are – riding whilst tired can cause serious or even fatal collisions.
During a ride, especially if you have been out for a while, you may start to feel tired and lose concentration;
- Make sure you take regular breaks and get off your bike to stretch your legs
- Having a drink can also help -keeping up your fluid intake can aid concentration
- Reduce your speed and ride to the conditions. Don’t feel under pressure to keep up with friends
- Recognise you are tired and give yourself a greater margin for error
- When you’re out riding for the whole day, don’t eat a heavy meal at lunchtime as this has been proven to reduce concentration in the afternoon.
If you are riding in a group – it is just as important to make the right choice;
- Think about your fellow riders
- Don’t put others under pressure to keep up or overtake
- Check your speed and take turns at the front or back.
Common errors made by bikers whilst tired;
- Taking left hand bends too fast or on the wrong line, causing you to run wide and drift into oncoming traffic
- Taking right hand bends too fast or on the wrong line, causing you to run wide and off the carriageway
- Misjudging overtakes and not having enough time to get past vehicles or failing to see and register oncoming vehicles
- Overtaking vehicles which are turning right at junctions when riders have failed to spot the junction.
