We Stay Sharp, Because They’re Not Focused

Let’s be real: the roads aren’t exactly full of laser-focused drivers. A quick scroll through a popular motorcycling forum confirms what we’ve all probably noticed – too many car and van drivers are glued to their phones instead of the road.

One rider shared their experience from commuting in and out of London: “

I realised the ‘mobile phone use while driving’ rot had really set in when I commuted in and out of London on my bike. As I filtered in slow-moving traffic, I spotted that many of the people driving were looking at their phones while the traffic was on a go-slow. No-one was paying attention to what was going on around them.’

Sound familiar? If you’ve seen this yourself, it’s no wonder there are so many crashes.

So, what do we do when drivers around us aren’t paying attention? At first, it feels like there’s nothing we can do. But the truth is, we can adapt. If we ride assuming that other drivers are distracted, we give ourselves a better chance of dodging their mistakes.

Here’s where it gets real: every ride needs a good “What if…?” game plan. When you’re filtering through traffic, think about what might happen if a driver suddenly decides to jump lanes because one side starts moving faster. Are they really going to check for a filtering rider first? Probably not. That’s why we’ve got to anticipate their moves and be ready for the unexpected.

Yeah, it’s frustrating that we’re the ones doing all the thinking out there, but let’s face it – we’ve got the most to lose if things go sideways.

And it’s not just in heavy traffic. Even when the road opens up, drivers who aren’t paying attention can suddenly turn right across our path without looking properly. They might glance for a car or van but miss our slimmer silhouette entirely.

We can’t stop them from driving like this, but we can ride smarter. Leave enough space to react when someone cuts across, keep speeds reasonable, and stay laser-focused on everything happening around us. By staying sharp and anticipating their mistakes, we give ourselves the best chance to avoid the worst.