motoring madness

[DMV]

Folks,

I'm very experienced driver and motorcycle rider from North America, with an unblemished driving record and no accidents ever, even though I've commuted in major metro areas with major league traffic.

I recently acquired a small motorcycle to use in lieu of the family car for quick errands.

What's with drivers in Singapore???!!!!

1) Is the concept of staying in one's lane so difficult?
2) Is the concept of allowing motorbikes (even small ones), their share of the road so unfathomable?
3) Is the concept of a turn signal too hard to comprehend?

Don't these motoring morons realize that a "fender bender" in a car v. motorcycle likely means maiming or death to the cyclist, but just a paint job for the car?

Sure, I noticed some of this stuff while behind the wheel, but when an annoyance becomes potential death, I notice it a lot more.

Any other two-wheel folk feel the same way?

If this keeps up, my next car will be a Hummer with a fifty mounted on top.

[Apples]

As I've recently completed my compulsory bike lessons and will be taking my test in January so I'm sensitive to these issues.

I've seen taxi drivers try to run bikes off the road and other drivers deliberately attempt to unseat riders - i kid you not!

When I get my bike (I've been riding for years in various countries but without a license) and go on the road, I will be taking defensive riding techniques to the extreme.  Every vehicle is trying to kill me today.

Man, what a rush!  

[evehow]

DMV-what you wrote are legitimate complaints.  I am a driver taking motorbike classes and what I observed to be the behaviour by drivers towards motorcyclists on the roads here is truly appalling.  I'm also visiting a local motorbiking forum and the general consensus is taxis are the worst culprits.

If you do not have a heart of steel, biking in Singapore will be a nerve-wrecking experience.  Do not go on the roads unless you are very very confident and familiar with handling your bike (and thus can handle dangerous situations without compromising your own safety).  Practice defensive riding techniques.  And hold your ground if drivers try to intimidate you-while they will do so in order to get you out of the way, they will hesitate if they're in close danger of killing you.

Sad situation but true.

[Nicam]

Keep your cool - it ain't worth.

Need to live to play another day.

Lets face, it ain't about right - its about might. Give way if you can - worst thing is that you will be 10 secs later arriving at your destination - at least you got there withour raising your blood pressure & in one piece.

I rode here for about 2 years & gave it up for convenience of a car.

I have had all the typically bad experiences of being cut off etc.

My survuval trick was to get ahead of the pack at the traffic lights when i coulds. I stuck to the centre of the lane while travelling behind a car. But at traffic lights i would carefully (pedestrians like to appear infront of a van) go between cars to get to the front & zip off when it was green.

Just take it easy on the road we are too vunerable to have a hit - even when we rae right.

Cheers

[madness]

i've been here for 3 years now and am familiar with the way the locals drive. i cannot understand why an expat would ride a motorbike here. taxi's are cheap and public transport is very efficient. why risk your life with "kiasu" maniacs on the roads?

[want_to_believe]

was riding a motorcycle for one year and now a car for around a year. I can not agree with DMV, I  think singapores drivers are not too bad. If I compare singapore with other big cities like Paris for example , I must say , singaporeans drive really carefull and polite

[ecole]

W-T-B, the man with the Ducati, how can you say this? I would agree that in general, S'pore drivers are OK (I used to live in Manila, a death trap for motorcyclists), but you simply cannot ignore the obnoxious drivers who do not recognize the basic right of a motorcyclist to share the road.

EXAMPLE: Any lane can be said to have three "channels" - one the left is the channel where the left wheel of a car passes; on the right is the channel where the right wheel of a car passes; in the center is the channel which collects all of the grime and oil that is dropped by vehicles. You can see this grimey center channel very welll on the ECP or PIE - a very dangerous area to ride for a motorcyclist. Thus, a wise motorcyclist will ride in one of the wheel channels, avoiding the grime in the center. Lately, I have been riding in the left channel and many many times cars have nosed up and tried to push me into the center between lanes. I turn and stare at them and shake my finger "no", they seem to get the message. One guy, however, proceeded to speed up and came within two inches of contact - a scary experience on the PIE at highway speeds.

I suppose a lot of these problems are caused by the small scooters that dart around traffic with no regard for their own life. But, this is still no excuse for dangerous driving by otherwise law abiding drivers.

ANSWER: If you ride, ride defensively - just let the other idiot go and arrive 10 seconds later, as suggested by a previous poster. In addiiton, if your bike has the power, it is usually easy to put the problems well behind you - a tactic I often employ when things get hairy.