Rolling with the biking mood

As appeared in Motoring
The Brunei Times - Sept 5, 2007

FOR those of you who remember Brunei roads as the exclusive playground of four-wheelers, you have got to rethink safety and driving methods. And soon.

The number of motorcycles on Brunei roads is increasing, thanks to more affluence and the demand for hobby riding, and they are here to stay.

Though motorcycles are not as prevalent here as in Malaysia or Thailand, where they are used as the primary means of transport, good weather on the weekends will usually mean convoys of bikes on pleasure rides across the sultanate.

Yes, there are dangers to riding these two-wheeled contraptions, chief among them the idiotic need for speed, but more often than not, accidents occur due to the intolerence and bad judgment of other road users.

A study released in Britain proved that most accidents involving motorbikes are caused by car drivers, specifically in exiting junctions despite an oncoming machine and changing lanes without warning.

And so too is it here, according to Ahmad Sharifuddin Taib of the Darussalam Motorcycle Association, who says some drivers cannot estimate a motorcycle's speed and exit junctions at will. This forces the motorcyclist to swerve or hit the brakes -- perilous things to do without training wheels or seat belts.

"It's not who is wrong, but the fact that motorcyclists also have a right to be on the road, and motorists should respect this," Ahmad Sharifuddin says.

Another gripe is cars swerving suddenly between lanes -- bad enough when you're in the safety of your own car watching that bulk of metal coming by, but it could be deadly for bikers.

Aside from being alert about motorcycles in general, motorists should also be aware of situations involving motorcycle convoys.

Having been in one over the weekend, on a ride from Bandar to the Anduki Recreational Park in Belait, I found the riders overall very conscientious about safety, especially with hand signals to alert those in the rear to obstacles ahead.

Pg Redzuan Pg Ahmad, road captain of the Harley Owner's Group (Brunei Chapter), is a stickler for convoy regulations and gives me the lowdown on safe riding in a group.

These include keeping a good distance between machines (10 bike lengths at speed), travelling in zigzag formation (each bike diagonally from the other), having a leader out front and a sweeper in rear, and adhering to the law.

Understanding that safety is the main concern can also help rein in the impatience when a convoy of 20 to 30 bikes can stretch up to half a kilometre -- not a pretty sight if you're in a following car, on a single lane road, and chafing at the bit.

I personally would not advise cars to try to overtake a convoy unless you can see a 2km stretch of road clear of oncoming traffic -- as a last-minute request to break a convoy means motorcycles in the rear have to brake suddenly.

All in all, sensitivity to the needs of other road users is the most important aspect of keeping Brunei roads safe, from the motorcyclists' side as well as those travelling on four wheels.