Motorcyclists and moped riders

By the end of this topic you can

• You can explain why motorcyclists are hard to see.
• You can look properly for riders before emerging, turning and changing lanes.
• You can expect riders to filter past slow or queuing traffic.
• You can give riders the same room as a car when overtaking them.
• You can make allowances for learner moped and motorcycle riders.

What you need to know and understand

• Motorcyclists are hard to see when alongside you, coming up behind, at junctions and roundabouts, overtaking or filtering.
• They may be travelling faster than you think, so look carefully before you emerge.
• When turning right across slow or stationary traffic, look out for riders on the inside of the queue.
• Give motorcyclists at least as much room as you would a car when overtaking.
• Check mirrors and blind spots before moving off, turning or changing lane.
• Riders may move around potholes, drain covers and slippery patches, so leave space.
• Learner riders show L plates and may be less experienced, so be patient with them.

Why bikes go unseen

A motorbike is narrow, so it can be hidden by a door pillar, a road sign or a parked van. Its narrow shape also makes it harder to judge how fast it is coming. Your brain is trained to look for cars, so a quick glance can miss a bike completely.

The answer is to take your time. Look properly, not just quickly, and look again. Move your head to see around the windscreen pillars. Many riders use dipped headlights or bright clothing to help, but never rely on that.

Filtering and lane changes

Riders are allowed to filter, which means riding slowly past queues of stationary or slow-moving traffic. Expect them on both sides of you in queues, especially in towns. Before you change lane or pull out of a queue, check your mirrors and blind spot, because a bike can appear very quickly.

If you are about to turn right across a queue that has stopped to let you through, a rider may be passing that queue on the inside. Edge forward slowly so you can see before committing.

• Do: look twice before every lane change in slow traffic.
• Do: leave a bigger gap behind a motorcycle, as it can stop very quickly.
• Do not: drift into the space beside you without checking.
• Do not: overtake a bike closely. Treat it like a car.

At junctions and roundabouts

1. Slow down early so you have time to look.
2. Look right, left and right again, and check behind pillars and parked vehicles.
3. Watch for a single headlight, which could be a bike that is closer than it seems.
4. If you see a bike, assume it is nearer and faster than you think.
5. Only go when you are sure the gap is safe for everyone.

Common mistakes

• A quick glance before emerging. Look long enough to judge speed, not just presence.
• Changing lanes in slow traffic without a blind-spot check. Riders often filter beside you.
• Turning right across a queue without checking the inside lane. Edge out and look.
• Following a motorcycle too closely. Leave extra room.
• Getting impatient with a learner on a moped. Hang back and give them space.

Test yourself: Motorcyclists and moped riders

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• Sharing the Road With Motorcycles